OLYMPICS

CompeteFor

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics which companies tendered for the CompeteFor website contract.

Tessa Jowell: The London Development Agency (LDA) commissioned specialist support to identify the most appropriate sourcing strategy for the electronic brokerage service which is now known as CompeteFor. The Office of Government Commerce's Catalist framework was used to ensure an efficient procurement process.
	CompeteFor, primarily a web portal, would also contain substantial e-transactional and customer relationship management elements. Seven suppliers met all three of these requirements, these were:
	Deloitte MCS
	Electronic Data Systems Ltd
	Fujitsu Services
	Hedra
	LogicaCMG
	Parity Solutions
	Serco Ltd.
	Both Hedra and Parity Solutions were later ruled out. Of the five remaining bidders four expressed an interest in bidding and tenders were received from Deloitte and Serco.

CompeteFor

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether the procurement process for the CompeteFor website contract took place in accordance with the European Union's competitive dialogue procurement procedure.

Tessa Jowell: The procurement was undertaken through a mini-competition using the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC) Catalist framework. This was undertaken in accordance with the OGC's guidance and in line with European Union requirements; however, the approach did not use the competitive dialogue procedure. The competitive dialogue process is normally used when a specification may be unclear, and ongoing engagement is needed with potential suppliers. In this instance a specification was sufficiently developed and so a competitive dialogue was unnecessary.

CompeteFor

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether the CompeteFor website will continue to operate after all the contracts for the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Government have accepted the recommendation made in Anne Glover's report, published alongside the pre-Budget report 2008, that there should be a single, free, and easy to search online portal for Government procurement. The Department for Business is looking at what companies want from a single portal and whether this matches the CompeteFor specification. This will influence the future of CompeteFor beyond 2012.

Departmental Press Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many press and communications officers are employed by  (a) her Department and  (b) the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Tessa Jowell: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Government Olympic Executive has responsibility for ensuring the London 2012 games are delivered, established a communications team in June 2008. Currently four full-time officers are employed.
	In addition, the Minister's press support is provided by the DCMS communications department where three press officers are employed to work on the Olympics desk.
	 (b) As answered in October 2008, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) communications team employs 25 members of staff. This consists of permanent staff, fixed term contract staff and secondments.
	The ODA communications team are responsible for all elements of communication and stakeholder engagement activities across the entire ODA programme. These activities include:
	Dealing with public inquiries about the ODA's work;
	Engagement with the local people in the five boroughs in and around the Olympic Park, including reactive and proactive community relations work;
	Stakeholder engagement with external groups for example the design, transport, construction, political and sporting communities;
	Statutory consultation for planning applications;
	Communication with a wide range of national, international, specialist, trade, regional and local media;
	Filming and photography of the work on the Olympic Park; including internet and new media.
	Of the aforementioned, there are four press officers and one head of media dealing specifically with the press.

Departmental Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the cost of her Office's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each year since its establishment.

Tessa Jowell: The Government Olympic Executive Communication function began in June 2008. Since this date, it has spent £1,175.00 on contracts with public relations consultancies.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Alan Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her assessment is of the extent to which Aggregate Industries Ltd is meeting the contractually stipulated target of delivering 99 per cent. of aggregate materials to the Olympic Park by sustainable means.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 27 January 2009
	The Olympic Delivery Authority's target that at least 50 per cent. of all materials, by weight, be transported to the Olympic Park by non-road methods is being exceeded. Aggregate Industries Ltd is currently achieving a performance level of 84 per cent. against that target.
	Aggregate Industries' own target is that 99 per cent. of materials be transported by non-road methods.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether companies tendering for contracts at the Olympic site are required to have business continuity plans in place as part of their tenders.

Tessa Jowell: Companies tendering for contracts on the Olympic Park site are required to have business continuity plans in place, the details of which are reviewed during the procurement process.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Michael Ancram: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what assessment she has made of the likely effects of recent sterling exchange rates on budgetary provision for the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: The Government's assessment is that current sterling exchange rates will not have significant effects on budgetary provision for the 2012 Olympics. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) receives its revenues, and makes its payments, in sterling. It is the responsibility of the ODA tier one contractors to manage exchange risks as defined by their contractual arrangements with the ODA. The ODA is reviewing the current exchange rate fluctuations with its Delivery Partner and the tier one contractors to assess the level of impact on future procurement. To date, no call has been made on the contingency in relation to exchange rate fluctuations. The contingency (within the £9.325 billion funding package) does, however, include provision for identified risks with the potential to impact on projects across the ODA programme such as exchange rate fluctuations.
	The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is due some revenues in both US dollars and euros. As a result, LOCOG has taken steps to effectively minimise exposure to exchange rate shifts and it is expected that recent movements in both currencies against sterling will have no significant impact on LOCOG's revenues. As the majority of LOCOG's costs are sterling-based, it is expected that recent movements in both currencies against sterling will have no significant impact on LOCOG's costs.

Olympic Games 2012: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her latest assessment is of the legacy which will accrue to Peterborough constituency as a result of the 2012 London Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: We are fully committed to ensuring a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Games which spreads to all communities in the UK.
	At a regional level this work is being taken forward by the Nations and Regions Group (NRG) who are working hard to ensure the benefits of 2012 reach across the UK. The east of England representative is Councillor Stephen Castle who also chairs Nations and Regions East (NRE). NRE is the partnership, which includes representation from both Peterborough city council and Cambridge county council, set up to provide strategic direction and support to county level working groups to take forward relevant and appropriate activity to maximise the benefits of 2012.
	The east of England launched its regional plan to maximise the benefits of the Games on 13 November 2007. This can be found on the east of England regional development website:
	http://www.eeda.org.uk/1607.asp
	I am delighted to say that progress on legacy in the east of England and Peterborough is already being made. For example, of the 48 local authorities in the east of England, 26 are offering free swimming to both those aged 16 or under and 60 or over (including Peterborough). 65 facilities from the east of England, including Grange Farm Equestrian Centre in Peterborough are included in the official London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide; 22 events took place in the region during the Cultural Olympiad 'Open Weekend' and 60 special 'handover flags' were raised.
	Furthermore, 353 schools and colleges covering 220,507 students in the east of England have registered on 'Get Set', the London 2012 education programme launched in September last year. Get Set provides a whole range of flexible, interactive learning resources and is designed to give expression to Olympic and Paralympic values.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice English Heritage has provided in connection with the work in 10 Downing Street associated with Westminster city council planning application reference 08/00696/1884.

Barbara Follett: Westminster City Council planning application reference PT/08/00696/1884 refers to an application dated 10 January 2008 for listed building consent to refurbish ground floor lavatories off the Inner Lobby of 10 Downing Street. English Heritage was notified on 29 January 2008 of the application and replied to Westminster on 7 February 2008 with a 'non-intervention' letter. This authorised the city council to determine the application for listed building consent as it saw fit.

Creativity and Business International Network

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) meetings,  (b) events and  (c) other activities are planned for the Creativity and Business International Network between now and October 2009.

Andy Burnham: Ministers and officials in my Department regularly hold meetings concerning the content and planning for the Creativity and Business International Network (c&binet) with a range of stakeholders in the public and private sector.

Creativity and Business International Network

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on producing branded ampersands for the meeting of the Creativity and Business International Network in Liverpool on 20 November 2008.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend, the Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism, gave him on 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1210W. The cost of the ampersands is included within the £1 million allocated towards the running of the World Creative Business Conference in each of the next three years, including 2008-09.

Creativity and Business International Network

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on food and drink for the meeting of the Creativity and Business International Network in Liverpool on 20 November 2008.

Andy Burnham: The total cost of food and drink at the reception and dinner held for the Creativity and Business International Network on 20 November 2008 was £3581.

Culture: Research

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions Ministers from his Department have had with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on funding for media and cultural studies research in the last 12 months; and what the outcome of those meetings was.

Andy Burnham: I regularly meet with ministerial colleagues to discuss a wide range of issues.

Departmental Administration

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of his Department's outturn expenditure on administration for 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Department's outturn expenditure on administration for 2008-09 is estimated to be £56.029 million according to the management accounts produced to 31 October 2008.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on ministerial hospitality in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06,  (c) 2006-07 and  (d) 2007-08, expressed in current prices.

Barbara Follett: The Department's accounting system does not separately record information on expenditure on ministerial hospitality and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	All expenditure on hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance, based on the principles set out in Managing Public Money.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guests attended the dinner hosted by his Department at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool on 20 November 2008.

Andy Burnham: The following people attended the launch event for the Creativity and Business International Network on 20 November 2008.
	Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
	Barbara Follett, Minister for Culture and Creative Industries and Tourism
	Jon Zeff, Director, Media, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
	Martha Kearney, Journalist (acting as moderator)
	Andy Duncan, Chief Executive, Channel 4
	Boko Inyundo, Global Sector Manager Linklaters LLE
	Chris Clarke, CEO, Nitro Group
	Ian Findlay, Director, Ariadne Capital
	Jatin Das, Artist
	Jocelyn Stevenson, Creative Director, TT Animation
	John Smith, Chief Executive, BBC Worldwide
	Julia Barfield, Founder Director, Marks Barfield Architects
	Laurence Green, Founding Partner and Chairman, Fallon London
	Lorna Tilbian, Executive Director, Numis Corporation plc.
	Lucian Grainge, Chairman and Chief Executive, Universal Music Group International
	Mark Thompson, Director-General, BBC
	Martin Lambie-Naim, Founder ML-N Brand Consultancy
	Nicholas Coleridge, Managing Director Condé Nast Publications UK, and Vice-President Condé Nast International
	Patrick McKenna, Chief Executive, Ingenious Media
	Paul Bennett, Managing Partner, Europe and Chief Creative Officer IDEO
	Peter Molyneux, Founder and CEO, Lionhead Studios
	Phil Redmond, Chair of National Museums Liverpool
	Spencer Hyman, Chief Operating Officer, Last.fm
	Tony Orsten, Chief Executive Officer, twofour54

Departmental Public Relations

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid to ML-N for its work in creating the brand for the Creativity and Business International Network.

Barbara Follett: I refer to the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 950W.

Departmental Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of his Department's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: The costs of the Department's contracts with public relations consultancies in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   PR consultancy  Spend (£) 
			 2004-05 Harrison Cowley 117,500.05 
			 2005-06 Harrison Cowley 295,148.25 
			 2006-07 Harrison Cowley 84,600 
			 2007-08 n/a 0 
			 2008-09 Edelman 186,495

Departmental Temporary Employment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on  (a) agency and  (b) temporary staff in each financial year since 2005-06.

Andy Burnham: The information relating to the spend on agency staff by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in each financial year since 2005-06 is shown as follows. The information on the cost of temporary staff could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 1,147,516 
			 2006-07 1,671,119 
			 2007-08 2,226,899

Digital Broadcasting

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the take-up rates were for digital television in each region on the latest date for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: The following table shows the percentage of households in each region that have taken up digital television.
	
		
			  Region  Percentage 
			 Border 84 
			 West Country 87 
			 Wales 90 
			 Granada 89 
			 West 87 
			 STV North 85 
			 STV Central 92 
			 Central(1) 80 
			 Yorkshire(1) 93 
			 Anglia(1) 89 
			 Meridian(1) 84 
			 London 84 
			 Tyne Tees(1) 97 
			 Ulster n/a 
			 (1) Very small base size—data should be viewed as indicative only.

Digital Switchover

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of households in each region who will not receive a full service from Freeview after digital switchover.

Andy Burnham: The following table shows Ofcom's estimate of the number of households that will be able to receive the full six multiplex Freeview service of approximately 40 channels following digital switchover.
	
		
			  Region  Percentage 
			 Anglia 86 
			 Border 53 
			 Central 98 
			 Granada 97 
			 London 95 
			 Meridian 84 
			 STV Central 93 
			 STV North (Grampian) 79 
			 Tyne Tees 96 
			 Ulster 78 
			 Wales 73 
			 West 94 
			 West Country 74 
			 Yorkshire 97

Digital Switchover: Wales

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1085W, on Digital Switchover: South Wales, 
	(1)  whether the Core Receiver Requirements set in November 2008 in respect of audio description will apply to all equipment supplied through the Helpscheme for digital changeover in South Wales;
	(2)  whether the Core Receiver Requirements set in November 2008 in respect of audio description will apply to all equipment supplied through the Helpscheme for digital changeover in Mid and West Wales;
	(3)  whether the Core Receiver Requirements set in November 2008 in respect of audio description will apply to all equipment supplied through the Helpscheme for digital changeover in North Wales.

Andy Burnham: As detailed within the Scheme Agreement (Chapter 3, 20 (3)), the Core Receiver Requirements in respect of audio description only apply to Most Cost Effective Offer equipment in North Wales, South Wales and Mid and West Wales.

English Heritage: Property

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what non-heritage  (a) buildings and  (b) land are leased by English Heritage; and what estimate has been made of the value of these assets.

Barbara Follett: English Heritage has advised that it owns one building, Brooklands in Cambridge, which is not part of its historic properties portfolio, and no non-heritage land. No part of Brooklands is leased in any way.

Hotels: Regulation

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the size of the regulatory burden for  (a) bed and breakfast establishments and  (b) hotels; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: Visit Britain (VB) have advised that during the British Tourism framework review, they received a number of submissions from stakeholders in the tourism sector about the burden of regulation. The cost is not quantified, and, indeed, individual regulations are rarely mentioned other than the 'overall' effect. However, there has been a clear sense of concern among accommodation providers about fire risk assessments introduced by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
	The former Minister for Tourism, my right hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge), met with the then Fire Minister, Parmjit Dhanda and one of VB's quality managers to press the case for clearer interpretation of rules across fire authorities and it was agreed that DCLG would look at it again and issue new guidance.
	DCLG have provided a new guidance briefing for accommodation providers. VB is delivering these with its magazine, "Quality Edge", which was circulated on Monday 19 January to businesses that are quality assessed by VB.

ICT: Training

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made on increasing levels of digital literacy.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 27 January 2009
	The Government and a number of other bodies have undertaken work on various aspects of digital and media literacy. In the Communications Act 2003, we gave Ofcom a statutory duty to work with others to promote media literacy in the UK. My Department works closely with Ofcom on its media literacy priorities and contributes annual funding to Ofcom's work in this area, which includes the periodic audit of changes in media literacy skills across the UK. Their audit has demonstrated that progress has been made, but we recognise that there is more work to be done.
	The new BBC Charter and Agreement also places a specific duty on the BBC Trust to promote media literacy. Furthermore, a wide range of activity is being undertaken by both education providers and industry—such as the Media Literacy Task Force—aimed at increasing levels of media literacy.
	In addition, the Government have set out a range of cross-departmental strategies that will further enhance media literacy. The Prime Minister has appointed my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales as Minister for Digital Inclusion and he has recently consulted on a Digital Inclusion Action Plan, aimed at improving access and skills to encourage the best use of digital technologies, building on the success of the 6,000 UK online centres in England. Furthermore, as one of the key recommendations from the Byron Review on internet safety, we have established the UK Council for Child Internet Safety which is developing a strategy including education and awareness for parents, carers and children.
	The interim Digital Britain report (Cm 7548) identifies the skills and literacy challenges to a fully digital Britain. We have therefore asked Ofcom to make an assessment of its current responsibilities in relation to media literacy and, working with the BBC and others, to recommend a new definition and ambition for a National Media Literacy Plan as a contribution to the final Digital Britain Report in the summer.

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of his Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: The Department has a press cuttings contract with EDS Media that began in April 2008. The cost to-date is £36,283.33.
	The Department pays an annual subscription charge to the Media Monitoring Unit (this is part of the Central Office of Information, previously part of the Cabinet Office). This includes a number of media monitoring services—the cost of press monitoring is not charged separately.

National Lottery: Complaints

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many disputes between a National Lottery player and a retailer referred to  (a) Camelot and  (b) the Lottery Commission were resolved in favour of (i) the player and (ii) the retailer in each of the last three years.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 2 February 2009
	The Department does not hold information on disputes between National Lottery players and retailers. The National Lottery Commission (NLC) have advised that neither Camelot nor the NLC record the requested information in the requested format.

Public Bodies: Assets

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) buildings and  (b) land is owned by (i) Arts Council England, (ii) the Big Lottery Fund, (iii) the Heritage Lottery Fund, (iv) UK Sport and (v) the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council; and what recent estimate has been made of the value of those assets.

Barbara Follett: The information as follows has been provided by the bodies in question.
	 Arts Council England
	 Buildings owned :
	21 Bond Street, Dewsbury
	 Land owned :
	Arts Council England own the freehold on a section of land in the London South Bank area covering the area of the South Bank Centre and British Film Institute, and an area covering the Royal National Theatre. All the land is passed back to the South Bank Centre, British Film Institute or Royal National Theatre at no cost to them and the leases run for 150 years.
	 Value :
	£600,000 open market value of Bond Street, Dewsbury, established by a valuation at 31 March 2005. It is Arts Council England accounting policy to refresh the valuation of this freehold property once every five years.
	As the land on the South Bank is leased for 150 years, it has no bankable value.
	The Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and UK Sport do not own any land or buildings.

Public Libraries: Standards

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how long each local authority took to replenish to Public Library Service Standard 10 its library lending stock on open access or available on loan in each of the last three years.

Barbara Follett: The information requested is not collated centrally. The appendix to Public Library Statistics, a report published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), shows the time taken by each local authority to replenish its lending stock. It may therefore be possible to calculate how long each local authority took to replenish to Public Library Service Standard 10 its library lending stock by comparing issues of the report for the period in question. The House of Commons Library holds copies.

Public Libraries: Statistics

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to his answer of 21 January,  Official Report, column 1456W, what statistical information his Department gathers relating to library services.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport gathers statistical information relating to library services through its Taking Part survey. This is a continuous household survey providing national data on participation in culture, leisure and sport by adults aged 16 and over.
	In relation to libraries, Taking Part asks respondents whether they have visited one in the past 12 months and, if so, how often. It also asks about their experiences during their last visit; their satisfaction with the library's services, and whether they would repeat the visit. The survey also tries to find out why respondents have not visited a library. The latest available data for libraries, which includes demographic breakdowns of attendance, can be found at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/5396.aspx
	In April 2008, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport added questions to Sport England's Active People survey to collect data for participation in cultural activities for the purposes of the National Indicator Set. Respondents are asked whether they had used a public library service in the past 12 months. Baseline estimates of attendance for all upper-tier local authorities can be found at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/research_and_statistics/5607.aspx

South Bank Centre: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding  (a) his Department and  (b) Arts Council England provided to the South Bank Centre in each of the last five years; and how much came from (i) Exchequer funding and (ii) the National Lottery in each such year.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's funding to the South Bank Centre is made through Arts Council England according to the arm's length principle. Arts Council England distributes the Department's funding for the arts. Arts Council England has advised that it has provided funding for the South Bank Centre as set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Arts Council England funding for the South Bank Centre 
			  £ 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  (i) Exchequer funding  
			 Regular funding 16,596,012 17,393,525 17,948,586 18,442,200 18,949,300 
			 Other 150,500 7,000 2,000,000 3,000,000 50,300 
			 Creative partnerships — — — — 20,000 
			   
			  (ii) Lottery funding  
			 Grants for the Arts — 10,680 — 25,717 100,000 
			  Note: In addition, Arts Council England advises that between 1995-96 and 2007-08, the South Bank Centre received £37,369,643 towards the costs of its redevelopment.

Swimming: Elderly People

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1073W, on swimming, which local authorities made representations on plans for free swimming for those over the age of 60; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such representation.

Andy Burnham: Local authority responses are still being collated ahead of the launch of the Free Swimming programme on 1 April 2009. To date we have received approximately forty representations from local authorities on plans for free swimming for those over the age of sixty. We are taking account of these representations and are in continuing discussion with authorities in the run-up to the start of the scheme. At this stage I have no plans to put in the Library copies of local authority correspondence regarding the Free Swimming programme.

Swimming: Young People

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of local authorities he expects will take part in the initiative to provide free swimming for under 16 year olds.

Andy Burnham: Of the 354 local authorities 211 (59.6 per cent.) have signed up to offer free swimming to under 16-year-olds. I am arranging for a list of participating authorities to be deposited in the Library of the House.

Tourism: Finance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what budget his Department provided for Visit Britain in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008; what budget he proposes for Visit Britain in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011 and (iv) 2012; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of such funding spent on promoting the UK as a tourist destination (A) within the UK and (B) overseas in each year.

Barbara Follett: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Budget provided for VisitBritain by the Department for Culture Media and Sport since 2004-05 
			  £ million 
			   Total  Overseas Budget  Domestic( 1)  Budget 
			 2004-05 48.4 35.5 12.9 
			 2005-06 48.9 35.5 13.4 
			 2006-07 49.9 35.5 14.4 
			 2007-08 (2)50.6 35.5 15.1 
			 2008-09 47.9 (3)35 (3)12.9 
			 2009-10 45.4 (4)— (4)— 
			 2010-11 40.9 (4)— (4)— 
			 2011-12 (5)— (5)— (5)— 
			 (1) Domestic budget denotes VisitBritain's budget to market England domestically. (2) For the period 2007-08, DCMS also gave £750,000 to VisitBritain to support a campaign to promote rural England following the floods and outbreak of foot and mouth of 2007. (3) Estimated figures. (4) Budget allocation due to be finalised following outcomes of VB Strategic framework review and discussions between VisitBritain and VisitEngland. (5) Not available—outside current HMT spending review round.

World Creative Business Summit

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many firms bid for the contract to deliver the World Creative Business summit.

Andy Burnham: A total of 12 firms were invited to bid to deliver the World Creative Business conference (now the Creativity and Business International Network) of which six moved to pitch after a pairing process. All the firms were on the Central Office of Information (COI) framework of approved agencies.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 8 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1521W, on apprentices, what progress has been made in increasing the number of apprentices in his Department; and how many apprentices his Department employs.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office currently has 12 staff completing apprenticeships, and 33 staff have already completed. The Department will offer 16 new places to staff each year.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	With respect to correspondence from members of the public, this information could not be provided within disproportionate costs limits but the Northern Ireland Office aim to respond to all written correspondence within 15 working days. The Department publishes statistics annually on 'answering letters quickly and clearly' in the departmental report, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which ICT projects initiated by his Department were abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred on each project; who the contractors were; what the date of  (a) commencement and  (b) abandonment was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: There has been one ICT project abandoned by the Northern Ireland Office before completion since 1997. The Product Logging ICT Project was cancelled by the Forensic Science Agency at a cost of £8,500. The contractors were ICS Computing. The project commenced in June 2006 and was abandoned in November 2006.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2008,  Official Report, column 773W, on departmental ICT, what his most recent estimate of the  (a) cost and  (b) completion date of each of the projects referred to is; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Project name  Completion date  Estimated cost (£ million) 
			 Causeway Programme March 2011 61 
			 Prisoner Record Information System (PRISM): Technical Refresh March 2010 1.3

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which websites his Department maintained other than its main departmental website in the last five years; and what the operating budget for each was in each year of its operation.

Paul Goggins: The websites maintained by the Northern Ireland Office, excluding the main departmental website, and their associated operating budgets for the last five financial years are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Operating budget by financial year 
			  Website  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Youth Justice Agency  
			 www.youthjusticeagencyni.gov.uk 11,338.75 1,938.75 12,069.96 3,125.50 7,252.69 
			 www.youthconferenceserviceni.gov.uk 7,637.50 0 193.88 0 0 
			   
			  Northern Ireland Prison Service  
			 www.niprisonservice.gov.uk 0 12,000 25,000 20,500 6,000 
			   
			  Organised Crime Task Force  
			 www.octf.gov.uk 1,457.00 423 14,092.95 4,674.15 2,294.78

Departmental Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of his Department's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The following table provides details of the Northern Ireland Office's expenditure on contracts with public relations companies (excluding agencies and Executive NDPBs) in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  Financial year  Value of contracts (£) 
			 2003-04 160,397 
			 2004-05 153,723 
			 2005-06 91,858 
			 2006-07 146,906 
			 2007-08 121,504 
		
	
	These companies have been used to provide goods and services in relation to newspaper and television advertising, such as crime prevention campaigns, and the production of leaflets and DVDs which were issued to the public.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course.

Shaun Woodward: Staff within the Northern Ireland Office have not undertaken any digital media courses provided by the Intranet Advertising Bureau in 2008.

Saville Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 886W, on the Saville Inquiry, 
	(1)  which firms have worked for the inquiry; for how many hours they have worked; and whom they have represented;
	(2)  how much each legal firm has received.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that the expenditure on legal representatives (both Counsel and solicitors' firms) by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry up to the end of December 2008 is:
	
		
			   Payments made (£) 
			  Counsel for the inquiry  
			 Christopher Clarke 4,488,266 
			 Jacob Grierson 394,879 
			 Alan Roxburgh 2,978,989 
			 Cathryn McGahey 2,268,093 
			 Bilal Rawat 2,203,633 
			   
			  Solicitors employed for the taking of witness statements  
			 Eversheds 13,253,720 
			   
			  Senior counsel representing the families  
			 Lord Gifford 803,040 
			 Arthur Harvey 1,326,426 
			 Michael Lavery 678,191 
			 Barry J. McDonald 1,203,275 
			 P. T. McDonald 120,144 
			 Michael Mansfield 743,421 
			 Eilish McDermott 1,405,133 
			 Seamus Treacy 1,008,703 
			 Eoin McGonigal 134,556 
			 Kevin Finegan 551,815 
			   
			  Senior counsel representing NICRA  
			 Sir Louis Blom Cooper 587,746 
			   
			  Junior counsel representing the families  
			 John Coyle 812,614 
			 Fiona Doherty 641,326 
			 Ciaran Harvey 673,951 
			 Richard Harvey 679,869 
			 Brian Kennedy 661,153 
			 Philip Magee 83,175 
			 Kieran Mallon 823,196 
			 Brian McCartney 874,398 
			 Karen Quinlivan 571,548 
			 Patricia Smyth 360,927 
			 Michael Topolski 159,915 
			 Mary McHugh 424,524 
			   
			  Junior counsel representing NICRA  
			 Paddy O'Hanlon 442,732 
			   
			  Solicitors representing the families  
			 Barr and Co. 696,319 
			 Brendan Kearney and Co. 953,451 
			 Desmond Doherty and Co. 1,449,837 
			 MacDermott and McGurk 1,503,840 
			 Madden and Finucane 12,968,409 
			 McCann and McCann 707,652 
			 McCartney and Casey 1,483,283 
			   
			  Solicitor representing NICRA  
			 Francis Keenan 594,328 
			   
			  Legal representatives for other witnesses  
			 Various solicitors and counsel 3,173,210 
		
	
	I am advised that payments made by the Ministry of Defence for legal representation up to the end of December 2008 are:
	
		
			   Payments made (£) 
			  Senior counsel representing HM armed forces  
			 Edwin Glasgow QC 4,065,817 
			 Edmund Lawson QC 942,943 
			 David Lloyd Jones QC 1,095,966 
			 Gerard Elias QC 1,795,752 
			 Peter Clarke QC 958,853 
			 Sir Allan Green QC 1,522,441 
			 Rosamund Horwood-Smart QC 677,874 
			 Sir Sydney Kentridge QC 52,875 
			 Anna Worrall QC 100,457 
			   
			  Senior counsel representing MOD  
			 Ian Burnett QC 231,386 
			 Philip Havers QC 7,138 
			   
			  Junior counsel representing HM armed forces  
			 Alexander Milne 409,121 
			 Bridget Petherbridge 126,197 
			 Huw Davies 361,638 
			 Ian Leist 965,146 
			 Michael Hick 253,895 
			 Gaby Bonham-Carter 277,393 
			 Pamela Morrison 131,378 
			 Kristian Mills 56,929 
			 Nicholas Moss 991,892 
			 Sam Grodzinski 1,877 
			 Stephen Requena 88,161 
			 Alan May 299,009 
			 Andrew Hurst 590,803 
			 David Bradly 1,291,966 
			 Michael Bools 990,071 
			 Nicholas Griffin 1,195,062 
			 Thomas Quinton 426,072 
			  Junior counsel representing the MOD  
			 William Hoskins 49,892 
			 Sacha Ackland 2,776 
			 Jonathan Hough 4,488 
			   
			  Solicitors representing HM armed forces  
			 Devonshires 2,727,581 
			 Kingsley Napley 1,943,586 
			 Payne Hicks Beach 3,789,748 
			 Jacqueline Duff 175,163 
			 Treasury Solicitor 3,915,980 
		
	
	Given the volume of legal representation involved throughout the lifespan of the inquiry, information on hours worked is not readily available, particularly where final settlements were negotiated. A comprehensive and accurate breakdown of the number of hours worked by each legal representative would require a manual trawl of thousands of claims, and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Saville Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 886W, on the Saville Inquiry, what the reasons are for increases in expenditure on legal fees.

Shaun Woodward: The figure for expenditure on legal fees provided in my answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 886W, included payments to lawyers working for the inquiry and to lawyers representing interested parties and witnesses before the inquiry (including those funded by the Ministry of Defence).
	I would expect some further increase in this figure as the final few settlements are reached in respect of fees for work already carried out. The vast majority of such fees have already been settled, but there remain a small number to be resolved. There will also be a continuing need for some legal work, particularly by lawyers working for the inquiry on preparation of its report.

Saville Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reasons Lord Saville has given for his discussions to set the date for delivery to him of the report of the Saville Inquiry in autumn 2009.

Shaun Woodward: In Lord Saville's letter to me of 4 November 2008, notifying me of the delay in submission of his report, he gave me the following explanation:
	"Since I last wrote to you, my colleagues and I have continued our work on the report, but I regret to say that it is now clear that the indication that I then gave of the time that was likely to be required for its completion was a substantial underestimate. As you know, we have always found it difficult, given the scale and complexity of the material with which we are dealing, to predict accurately how long it will take us to complete our task. We are however most anxious to ensure that any further estimate is realistic, and with that in mind we now think it right to say that we expect to deliver the completed report to you in the autumn of next year."
	Copies of this letter were placed in the Libraries of both Houses last year.

Saville Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the Answer of 18 November 2008,  Official Report, column 261W, on the Saville Inquiry, what the basis is for the estimate that the final cost of the inquiry will be £191 million.

Shaun Woodward: The estimate provided in my answer of 18 November 2008,  Official Report, column 261W, that the final cost of the inquiry would be approximately £191 million was based on the inquiry's own estimate of the remaining costs (including an estimate provided by the Ministry of Defence for the remaining costs falling to that Department). That estimate has now been reduced to approximately £190 million.

Saville Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 18 November 2008,  Official Report, column 261W, on the Saville Inquiry, what the reasons are for the differences between the estimated final cost of the Inquiry and the original estimated cost.

Shaun Woodward: In a statement to this House on 29 January 1998, the then Prime Minister set out his intention to establish the inquiry into Bloody Sunday and said:
	"It is not possible to say now exactly how long the Inquiry will take but it should be allowed the time necessary to cover all the evidence now available thoroughly and completely."
	At this early stage, there was limited information on which to base projections of the likely total cost. The inquiry initially anticipated that its work would last about two years and £11 million was allocated for this in the Government spending review. However the unprecedented scale of the inquiry was not predicted, in terms of number of witnesses identified and available to give oral evidence, the number of legal challenges, and the ensuing increase in legal costs.
	At this late stage in the inquiry's lifespan, future spend is for the most part limited to running costs and the final total is therefore easier to predict with more certainty.

Saville Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answers of 17 November 2008,  Official Report, column 3W and 18 November 2008,  Official Report, column 261W, on the Saville Inquiry, what the evidential basis is for the statements that  (a) the final cost of the Inquiry will not exceed £191 million and  (b) the Inquiry's final report will be delivered by autumn 2009.

Shaun Woodward: The estimate of £191 million provided in my answer of 18 November 2008,  Official Report, column 261W, for final cost of the inquiry was based on the inquiry's own estimate of its remaining costs and an estimate provided by the Ministry of Defence for the remaining costs falling to that Department. That estimate has now reduced to approximately £190 million.
	Lord Saville notified me in a letter dated 4 November 2008 that he expected to deliver the report in autumn 2009.

SCOTLAND

Banks

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the future of the banking industry in Scotland.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend is in regular contact with the Chancellor and discusses a variety of issues. The Scottish banking sector has benefited from the significant intervention by this Government to stabilise the market.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department were disciplined for  (a) bullying and  (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years.

Ann McKechin: There have been no complaints of bullying or harassment in the Scotland Office during the period requested.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Holmes: To ask the Prime Minister how many civil servants in his Office have been  (a) investigated,  (b) suspended and  (c) dismissed for (i) losing and (ii) deliberately disclosing (A) data stored on departmental equipment and (B) confidential information in each year since 1997.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 15 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 867-68W.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Iran

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many young people in Iran the British Council have helped to learn  (a) English or  (b) about the UK.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 22 January 2009
	The British Council does not work directly with young people in Iran. However, by working with leaders in the field of education, the British Council has helped young Iranians develop both a more international outlook and connections with the UK that lead to better understanding of our country and culture.
	 In 2007- 0 8:
	8824 people participated in a range of British Council educational and cultural programmes;
	2000 students from Iran studied in further and higher education in the UK;
	17,406 educational enquiries were answered by the British Council in Tehran;
	78,000 people visited the British Council website www.britishcouncil.org/iran.

Rashid Rauf

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any official in his Department was given notice by any representative of  (a) the Pakistan government and  (b) the US administration of the US air strike on the village of Ali Khel on or before 22 November 2008.

Bill Rammell: It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on operational intelligence matters.

Rashid Rauf

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was first informed of the suspected death of Mr. Rashid Rauf following the US air strike on the village of Ali Khel on 22 November 2008.

Bill Rammell: We first learned of his suspected death from media reporting coming out of Pakistan.

Ukraine: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Ukraine on  (a) levels of anti-Semitism and  (b) anti-Semitic (i) organisations and (ii) publications in Ukraine since July 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Our embassy in Kiev regularly raise issues relating to anti-Semitism with the Ukrainian authorities and remains in close contact with local human rights organisations and representatives of the Jewish community. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the International Commission Combating Anti-Semitism are co-hosting a high level meeting in the UK on the 16 and 17 February 2009 to which we are inviting a broad range of countries, including Ukraine. We continue to work with our EU partners to keep these issues under close review.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions: Aviation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the cumulative effect on UK carbon dioxide emissions of returning to 2005 levels of emissions from aviation between now and 2050, as a proportion of total UK carbon dioxide emissions.

Joan Ruddock: The Government have asked the Committee on Climate Change to advise by December 2009 on the basis for measurement of the Government's target to reduce UK aviation emissions in 2050 below 2005 levels.
	Once aviation joins the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in 2012, carbon dioxide emissions from all flights departing and arriving at airports in the EU will be capped at 97 per cent. of average 2004-06 levels, with the cap tightening to 95 per cent. of average 2004-06 levels from 2013 onwards. Any aviation emissions above this cap will need to be matched by airlines securing reductions from other sectors within the EU ETS. 95 per cent. of UK aviation emissions in the 2004-06 period is estimated to be 35.6 million tonnes.
	At present there is no clear relationship between international aviation emissions and the UK's greenhouse gas inventory, as there is no internationally-agreed methodology for assigning emissions from international aviation to individual countries. The UK continues to press internationally for agreement on measures to address aviation emissions.

Carbon Emissions: Subsidies

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what each of the offsetting projects is that EEA Fund Management subsidises as part of the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund; and what the location of each project is.

Joan Ruddock: The following projects are currently part of the approved pool of projects from which EEA Fund Management will deliver Certified Emission Reduction credits to the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund:
	 Horizonte Wind Power Generation Project
	Average annual emission reductions: 6,227 t CO2e
	Location: Brazil
	The Horizonte project became operational and started generating electricity in 2004. The wind farm consists of eight turbines of 600 kW each for a total generation capacity of 4.8 MW. The project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by substitution of energy from fossil fuel power plants as it generates electricity with clean wind energy. Energy from the plant is sold to the Brazilian South-Southeast-Midwest Grid.
	 Sri Balaji 6 MW Non-Conventional Renewable Sources Biomass Power Project
	Average annual emission reductions: 28,590 t CO2e
	Location: India
	The project installed a 6 MW biomass-fired power plant that utilises surplus biomass waste residues usually burnt in the local area. The electricity generated by the project is sold to the grid, reducing reliance on fossil fuel power generation as well as creating benefits and job opportunities to the local community. The project reduces local pollution by avoiding uncontrolled burning of waste in the fields.
	 Cuca� Bagasse Cogeneration Project (CBCP)
	Average annual emission reductions: 2,082 t CO2e
	Location: Brazil
	This project increases the energy efficiency of bagasse cogeneration at Cuca� sugar mill through the installation of more efficient boilers. The project also allows the mill to increase the steam efficiency in the sugar and alcohol production processes. Cuca� is thus able to generate surplus steam and use it exclusively for electricity production. This electricity is then sold into the national grid, avoiding the dispatch of the same amount of energy generated from fossil fuel-fired thermal plants.
	 6 MW renewable energy project for a grid system by Gayatri Agro Industrial Power Ltd., India
	Average annual emission reductions: 23,738 t CO2e
	Location: India
	The project activity will utilise surplus biomass residues such as rice husk, paddy straw, castor stems, pulse stalks and other renewable woody biomass (Juliflora) materials to generate electricity for a grid system owned by the state owned power utility, Central Power Distribution Company Ltd.
	 6 MW renewable energy project for a grid system by Sri Indra Power Energies Ltd., India
	Average annual emission reductions: 29,100t CO2e
	Location: India
	The project activity utilises surplus biomass residues to generate electricity for a grid system owned by the state power utility, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd.
	 Gansu Zhouqu Shimenping 15 MW Hydropower Station Project
	Average annual emission reductions: 66,8171 CO2e
	Location: China
	The Gansu Zhouqu Shimenping Project is a small hydropower plant using water from the Bailong River in Zhouqu County in China. This project generates clean electricity, reducing reliance on fossil fuel power generation as well as creating job opportunities to the local community.
	Further details of these projects can be found on the website of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to which 100 firms of solicitors his Department and its predecessors has paid the most in costs in respect of the coal health compensation scheme.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 29 January 2009
	The following table shows the top 100 claimants' representatives who have earned the most under the Coal Health Compensation Schemes.
	
		
			  Claimants' representatives  Total costs () 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 130,055,137 
			 Thompsons Solicitors 119,912,048 
			 Hugh James 100,259,520 
			 Raleys Solicitors 77,949,197 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 57,593,099 
			 Browell Smith and Co 54,998,663 
			 Avalon Solicitors 40,244,425 
			 Watson Burton LLP 26,336,328 
			 Graysons Solicitors 25,106,393 
			 Barber and Co 23,538,872 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 23,121,615 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins and Martin 18,199,775 
			 TLW Solicitors 15,911,685 
			 Ingrams Solicitors 13,875,567 
			 Ashton Morton Slack LLP 13,228,092 
			 Delta Legal 13,026,272 
			 Towells Solicitors 12,642,096 
			 Moss Solicitors 12,541,779 
			 Irwin Mitchell Solicitors 11,872,714 
			 Corries Solicitors 10,771,536 
			 Kidd and Spoor Harper Solicitors 10,013,285 
			 BRM Solicitors 9,543,665 
			 Birchall Blackburn 9,266,868 
			 Gorman Hamilton Solicitors 9,135,712 
			 Wake Smith and Tofields Solicitors 8,571,250 
			 Corries York 8,085,834 
			 Atteys 7,751,534 
			 O H Parsons and Partners Solicitors 6,639,240 
			 Hilary Meredith Solicitors 5,652,110 
			 Shaw and Co Solicitors 5,182,627 
			 Furley Page 4,377,089 
			 Ryan Carlisle Thomas Lawyers 4,263,565 
			 Simpson Millar Solicitors 4,219,485 
			 Mortons Solicitors 3,668,028 
			 Thompson and Co Solicitors 3,618,008 
			 Marrons Solicitors 3,580,330 
			 T S Edwards and Son Solicitors 3,462,860 
			 Onyems and Partners 3,414,000 
			 Morisons Solicitors 3,358,130 
			 1 Legal Solicitors 3,335,346 
			 Meloy Whittle Robinson 3,037,416 
			 Latham and Co Solicitors 3,012,486 
			 Proddow and Mackay Solicitors 3,007,600 
			 Hopkins 2,955,018 
			 Bailey Bravo Jobling 2,792,226 
			 Kingslegal 2,777,928 
			 Hickmotts Solicitors 2,481,773 
			 Cordner Lewis Solicitors 2,371,372 
			 Recompense Limited 2,291,948 
			 Keeble Hawson Moorhouse 2,158,034 
			 McConville O'Neill Solicitors 2,143,472 
			 Saffmans Solicitors 2,112,594 
			 BHPLAW 2,077,369 
			 Oxley and Coward Solicitors 2,072,521 
			 Hindle Campbell Solicitors 2,055,823 
			 Gorvin Smith Fort Solicitors 1,889,313 
			 Morgan Cole 1,836,341 
			 Pannone and Partners Solicitors 1,831,419 
			 J M Skinner Solicitors 1,705,843 
			 Wheelers Solicitors 1,470,108 
			 Gabb and Co 1,379,845 
			 Emsleys Solicitors 1,300,966 
			 MLM Solicitors 1,206,965 
			 McLeish Carswell 1,194,862 
			 Canter Levin and Berg Solicitors 1,149,222 
			 J Keith Park and Co Solicitors 1,135,502 
			 DMH Stallard 1,120,278 
			 Farleys Solicitors 1,113,987 
			 SIS Law 917,862 
			 Colemans Solicitors 903,171 
			 Campbell Smith W.S. 890,268 
			 Lopian Wagner Solicitors 855,162 
			 Keeble Hawson 842,308 
			 Ben Hoare Bell and Co Solicitors 788,029 
			 Elliot Mather Solicitors 784,560 
			 Stripes Solicitors 632,696 
			 Pinto Potts Solicitors 605,268 
			 Mincoffs Solicitors 543,040 
			 Foys Solicitors 537,242 
			 Mills Donkin and Co 533,391 
			 Morrish and Co Solicitors 530,065 
			 Russell Jones and Walker Solicitors 529,492 
			 Oakley and Davies 506,434 
			 MK Legal LLP Solicitors 499,297 
			 Branton Bridge 477,943 
			 Holmes and Hills Solicitors 466,209 
			 Houseman and Hails Solicitors 450,849 
			 Endlars Solicitors 438,747 
			 Lloyd Green Solicitors 389,320 
			 Stuart Bell and Associates 387,839 
			 BBH Solicitors 385,834 
			 St Davids Solicitors 377,498 
			 Hayward Baker 344,701 
			 Ibbotson Brady Solicitors 324,578 
			 Peace Revitt Solicitors 319,899 
			 Robinson King Solicitorsceased trading 303,378 
			 Richard J. Knaggs and Co 265,050 
			 DMH 254,855 
			 Treanors Solicitors 246,740 
			 Chappell Pascoe Solicitors 235,880 
		
	
	The figures take into account monies recovered under the LOROS costs.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which 20 firms of solicitors are handling the most unresolved claims under the coal health compensation scheme; and how many unresolved cases each such firm is handling.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 29 January 2009
	The following tables shows the 20 claimants' representatives handling the most unresolved claims for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vibration white finger (VWF) under the coal health compensation schemes.
	The table also indicates the number of claims that may potentially be 'struck out' under the COPD scheme. These are claims which are denied or withdrawn, or have failed a hard cut-off.
	
		
			  COPD 
			  Claimant's representatives  Total outstanding claims  Potential for strike out 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 2,769 1,026 
			 Raleys Solicitors 2,562 846 
			 Hugh James 2,135 1,189 
			 Thompsons Solicitors 1,961 880 
			 Browell Smith and Co. 1,251 565 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 654 227 
			 Barber and Co. 593 273 
			 Ryan Carlisle Thomas Lawyers 567 42 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins and Martin 553 394 
			 Avalon Solicitors 530 283 
			 Ashton Morton Slack LLP 470 334 
			 Moss Solicitors 446 276 
			 1 Legal Solicitors 442 389 
			 Graysons Solicitors 414 193 
			 TLW Solicitors 350 284 
			 Watson Burton LLP 320 119 
			 BRM Solicitors 288 222 
			 Corries Solicitors 270 114 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 252 142 
			 McConville O'Neill Solicitors 183 47 
		
	
	
		
			  VWF 
			  Claimant's representatives  Total outstanding claims 
			 Thompsons Solicitors 209 
			 Raleys Solicitors 91 
			 Browell Smith and Co. 37 
			 O H Parsons and Partners Solicitors 31 
			 Corries Solicitors 26 
			 Graysons Solicitors 21 
			 Kidd and Spoor Harper Solicitors 20 
			 Watson Burton LLP 20 
			 Hugh James 18 
			 Towells Solicitors 15 
			 Ashton Morton Slack LLP 13 
			 Morisons Solicitors 11 
			 Thompson and Co. Solicitors 11 
			 Moss Solicitors 10 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins and Martin 9 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 8 
			 Kingslegal 6 
			 Irwin Mitchell Solicitors 5 
			 Shaw and Co. Solicitors 5 
			 T S Edwards and Son Solicitors 4

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the amount to be paid by his Department to solicitors in costs under the coal health compensation scheme in the next 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 29 January 2009
	The Department estimates that the sum to be paid to claimants' solicitors under the coal health compensation scheme for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is 1,047.2 million, of which 28 million is due to be paid in 2009.
	The estimate for the vibration white finger scheme is 192.43 million, of which 6 million is due to be paid in 2009.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many unresolved surface worker coal health claims for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease there are relating to men who are  (a) still alive and  (b) dead.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 28 January 2009
	As at 26 January 2009, 5,842 of the 591,767 claims registered under the British Coal Respiratory Disease Litigation (BCRDL), have been identified by claimant representatives as being from those who worked on the surface in coal preparation plants. 2,334 of these claims are from living miners; the remaining 3,508 are from families of deceased miners. Resolution of the issue of liability for these cases is subject to the outcome of the trial of a sample of four cases, due to be heard in November 2009. From these cases, we aim to identify generic issues that allow the issue of British Coal's liability to compensate to be resolved one way or the other.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department and its predecessors have paid Nabarro Nathanson in fees for cases relating to industrial disease claims in the mining industry since 1995.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 28 January 2009
	From April 1999 to October 2008, BERR and its predecessors spent 28.7 million plus VAT in relation to Nabarro's fees across all mining-related industrial disease claims. But note this excludes all counsel costs, expert fees, cost draftsman's fees and foreign lawyer's fees.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on behalf of how many individual miners Beresfords Solicitors have submitted claims under the coal health compensation scheme.

Mike O'Brien: Government records show the total number of miners represented by Beresfords Solicitors under the coal health compensation schemes is 85,382 claims.

Industrial Injuries

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the number of miners who developed beat knee while working in the mining industry.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 28 January 2009
	It is not possible for the Department to estimate the number of miners who developed beat knee. However, the Department received nearly 15,000 claims for beat knee as a result of litigation which was not pursued beyond 2005. The Department currently faces litigation for osteoarthritis of the knee and meniscal damage but not for beat knee which is a separate condition.

International Renewable Energy Agency

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons the Government has not supported the proposal for an International Renewable Energy Agency; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of the International Energy Agency in the area of renewable energy; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We have fully supported the proposal for an International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). During 2008, we participated in the process for establishing the IRENA and we have also participated at the Founding conference on 26 January and the first session of the Preparatory Commission of IRENA on 27 January 2009.
	To achieve our climate change and energy goals, we need to accelerate rapidly the deployment of renewable sources of energy and have greater co-ordination. IRENA has the potential to make a significant contribution to this work.
	We have been very keen on joining and have been in close contact with the German Government on the details of the new organisation. For example, we have been talking to Germany about how IRENA can contribute to the roll-out and deployment of renewables and how we can help to get other countries such as Canada, China, Japan, India and the US to join. We are also talking about how we can make sure that IRENA works closely with, and avoids overlap and duplication with, other international bodies and organisations, such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the renewable energy and energy efficiency partnership (REEEP), of which the UK is already a member.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter to him dated 3 November 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. D.J. Fraser.

Joan Ruddock: I apologise for the delay in responding. This was due to departmental reorganisation. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change replied on 20 January.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter of 27 October 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mrs. Doreen Henley, transferred to him by the Prime Minister.

Joan Ruddock: I apologise for the delay in responding. This was due to departmental reorganisation. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, North (Edward Miliband), replied on 28 January.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter of 3 November 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr D J Fraser.

Joan Ruddock: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 17 January. My officials have been in contact with my right hon. Friend's office which has confirmed the response has been received.

Warm Homes Act 2000

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of paragraphs 34 and 35 of the adjudication of the High Court on 17 October 2008 in respect of a case brought by Help the Aged and Friends of the Earth on enforcements of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, in terms of the duty placed upon the responsible Secretary of State under section 3 of the Act.

Joan Ruddock: Paragraphs 34 and 35 of the judgment refer to section 3 of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. Provisions like that section are commonly included in Bills, and therefore in Acts of Parliament, without any intention that they should have a substantive legal effect. The explanation for their inclusion relates to the procedure of the House of Commons where a provision of a Bill introduced in that House may give rise to public expenditure. This is not a matter that is specific to the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, but raises wider issues relating to parliamentary procedure and Bill drafting practice generally. The Government are considering those issues in the light of the judgment.

TREASURY

Banks

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings  (a) he,  (b) Ministers in his Department,  (c) special advisers and  (d) officials in his Department have had with each UK bank since September 2008; what was discussed; who was present at each meeting; what agreements have been reached between his Department and each bank at each such meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Banks: Iceland

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Services Authority was first informed of risks associated with investing in Icelandic banks.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1083W.

Debts

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much household debt there was in the UK in December 2008.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 2 February 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 3 February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how much household debt there was in the UK in December 2008. (253087)
	The most recent data available are for the end of September 2008, when total financial liabilities were 1,568 billion. (Strictly, these figures include non-profit institutions serving households, for example, charities, trade unions and churches, as well as households proper. But their liabilities are small in relation to the total.)
	Data for the end of December 2008 will be included in the next Quarterly National Accounts release, due on 27th March 2009.

Departmental Correspondence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters he has received on the subject of his Department's package of assistance for banks.

Angela Eagle: This information is not held and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.

Equitable Life

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what timetable he has agreed with Sir John Chadwick for presentation of  (a) an interim report and  (b) a final report of his investigation into the scope of compensation for Equitable Life policy holders; when he expects the first payments to policy holders to be made; and if he will make a statement.

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the statement of 15 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 377-80, on Equitable Life, what timetable he has set for Sir John Chadwick to provide his advice to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government have asked Sir John Chadwick to advise as quickly as he is able, including providing interim updates.

Housing: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many localities there are in each billing authority area in England.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	I have placed in the Library of the House a table detailing the number of localities delineated by the Valuation Office Agency, by billing authority area in England.

Northern Rock: Mortgages

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information  (a) his Department and  (b) the Financial Services Authority holds on the number of people who have a mortgage with Northern Rock at its standard variable rate.

Ian Pearson: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is operationally independent from the Government and such questions should be addressed directly to the FSA. In respect of information held by the Treasury, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Carmarthen and Dinefwr (Adam Price) on 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 728W.

Public Sector: Procurement

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a public authority advertising a contract in the Official Journal of the European Union may specify that preference will be given to a bidder who can demonstrate delivery of a local multiplier effect in the local economy; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Advertisements placed in the  Official Journal of the European Union must be compliant with our EU and other international obligations. These are in place to open up markets and to prevent discrimination across the Community. Any contract notice which states a local preference would not be consistent with those legal obligations.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Rob Marris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings Ministers in his Department held with  (a) staff and  (b) directors of the Royal Bank of Scotland in (i) each month in 2008 and (ii) January 2009.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Taxation: Self-Assessment

Brian Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to reduce HM Revenue and Customs' 6.5 per cent. interest charge for late returned self-assessment tax returns.

Stephen Timms: Interest is not charged on late returned self-assessment returns, but rather on any tax shown as due on a return and unpaid at the due date.
	HM Revenue and Customs recalculates its interest rates following any change in the Bank of England base rate in line with procedures laid down in legislation. The legislation sets out how the rates for various taxes and duties should be calculated and when they apply from. In accordance with the legislation the rate of interest charged on underpaid income tax is currently 3.5 per cent. This rate has applied since 27 January 2009.

Thoresen Review

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration his Department has given to the findings of the Thoresen Review of Generic Financial Advice.

Ian Pearson: The Government accepted the Thoresen Review's central recommendation to pilot the Money Guidance service through a large-scale regional pathfinder on 3 March 2008, alongside publication of the Thoresen Review's final report. As announced at PBR 2008, the 12 million pathfinder, jointly funded by HM Treasury and the Financial Services Authority, is on track to launch this spring in the North East and North West of England. The pathfinder will inform Government decisions on roll-out of a national Money Guidance service.

Valuation Office: Electronic Equipment

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Weybridge of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1889W, on departmental electronic equipment, to what use the Valuation Office Agency has put the  (a) flat screen televisions and  (b) stereo equipment it purchased in the years concerned.

Stephen Timms: The information is as follows:
	 (a) 14 flat-screen televisions are used for video-conferencing, one to relay information messages to staff, one to show 24-hour news programmes to visitors, one for PowerPoint and other computer-based presentations in the boardroom and one for development of staff training material.
	 (b) The stereo equipment is used for audio presentations in VOA offices.

Valuation Office: South East

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 682W, on housing: valuation, if he will rank each individual locality reference in each valuation area in the South East according to value significance.

Stephen Timms: A list of locality reference numbers, ranked in order of value significance by valuation area within the Valuation Office Agency's South East Group, has been placed in the Library. The list is based on data extracted between 9 and 10 September 2008.
	Information that identifies the extent and location of each locality, relative to the list of numbers that ranks each individual locality, is commercially confidential.

Welfare Tax Credits

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps the Government have taken to increase the uptake of tax credits by those entitled to them.

Stephen Timms: Paragraph 5.40, Chapter 5 in the pre-Budget report 2008 set out the steps the Government are taking to increase the uptake of tax credits, which includes HMRC working in partnership with other organisations to promote working tax credit in innovative ways. Since then coverage through partnership marketing has increased from 500,000 employees at 40 organisations to 660,000 employees at 44 organisations.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bankruptcy orders have been issued in respect to the recovery of tax credit overpayments  (a) in each year since 2003-04 and  (b) in each month in 2008-09 for which information is available; and what the average level of overpayment was.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. HMRC's policy is to attempt to make personal contact in all cases before legal proceedings are commenced including at least one visit to the last known address of the claimant.
	HM Revenue and Customs will only initiate insolvency action through the courts as a last resort and it would be unusual to commence insolvency proceedings solely in respect of tax credit debts.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Manpower

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time staff posts (i) have been and (ii) are planned to be ended in each division as part of the restructuring in his Department referred to in his Department's Annual Report 2008, chapter 10, point 10.16; and what reduction in expenditure is expected to arise from this restructuring.

Ivan Lewis: Details of headcount reductions at the Department for International Development (DFID) since 2004 are available in the 2008 Annual Report, Chapter 10, point 10.23. This is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk.
	For the 2008-09 to 2010-11 period there are no headcount targets.
	Workforce planning and staff needs by division are continually under review.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest estimate is of his Department's underspend for the financial year 2008-09.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) estimates that it will spend its budget in full for the financial year 2008-09.

Developing Countries: Private Sector

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with CDC on its role in private sector investment in developing countries during the global economic downturn; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Officials at the Department for International Development (DFID) have had discussions on the financial crisis with CDC in the context of the company's new investment policy announced in November 2008. This policy will focus CDC further on poorer countries that still have substantial need for investment capital during the crisis. A copy of the policy has been placed in the Library of the House.
	With access to private credit in developing countries reducing as a result of the economic downturn, capital flows from development finance institutions such as CDC must be maintained or increased. Access to these funds will encourage private sector investment and the jobs that that helps to protect and create.
	CDC therefore has an important counter-cyclical role to play in continuing to make commitments to funds which focus on its target geographies in low income countries and sub-Saharan Africa in particular.
	However, CDC on its own can have only a small impact. A coordinated response is necessary and we are also encouraging CDC to coordinate closely with other Development Finance Institutions such as the IFC which is preparing a package of facilities and initiatives in response to the global financial crisis.

International Conferences

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from his Department will attend the forthcoming Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Global Conference on establishing resource transparency; what his Department's objectives for the conference are; and if he will make a statement. [Official Report, 12 February 2009, Vol. 487, c. 17MC.]

Michael Foster: The UK Government have been a leading supporter of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). DFID has committed 10.043 million to EITI and has so far provided 5.077 million of this since November 2002. Increasing transparency and knowledge of revenues from the extractive sectors empowers citizens to hold governments to account, so that mismanagement of funds away from sustainable development purposes becomes more difficult. In line with the EITI Global Conference's objectives, we will work with other stakeholders to take stock of EITI's progress; to address the challenges which EITI faces; and to consider the next steps for taking forward the initiative.
	The composition of the UK's delegation to the EITI Global Conference is yet to be finalised.

Palestinians: International Assistance

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the humanitarian situation in Gaza; what continued financial contribution the UK plans to make; and if he will urge the international community to make a substantial contribution to deal with the humanitarian situation in the region.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) is extremely concerned by the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The United Nations estimates that over 90 per cent. of Gaza's population is at least partly dependent on food aid and one fifth of people have no access to running water. Access through crossings between Gaza and Israel remains severely restricted although some deliveries of emergency food aid, medicines and medical supplies have been allowed in but is not adequate to fully meet the needs of the population. The UK continues to urge Israel to immediately allow full and unhindered access for humanitarian agencies so supplies can get in.
	The UK Government have made an additional pledge of up to 26.8 million to help meet immediate humanitarian needs in Gaza. Of this over 12 million has already been allocated. For the remaining funds, we are prioritising support to those agencies well placed to respond to immediate humanitarian assistance and protection needs. The UK will continue to meet needs through our five year 100 million commitment to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. We also provide funding through the European Community's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) which has allocated 3 million for urgent humanitarian relief work in Gaza, of which the UK contributes about 16 per cent. (482,000).
	We are in contact with other Governments on ensuring that the contributions made by the international community are adequate to meet humanitarian needs in Gaza. The continued restrictions on access into Gaza for humanitarian supplies are a serious problem that must be dealt with so that humanitarian assistance can reach those who need it.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid he has made available to the population of Gaza in the last two years.

Douglas Alexander: In 2007-08 the Department for International Development provided 63.6 million to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). This included 15.6 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees in the region; 3 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for humanitarian assistance in Gaza, and 35.5 million to the PA which helped it provide essential public services in both Gaza and the West Bank.
	In 2008-09 the UK has already provided 19 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to help Palestinian refugees in the region, including the 70 per cent. of Gazans who are refugees. We have also given 23.5 million to the Palestinian Authority for delivery of public services in Gaza and the west bank.
	As announced on 18 January 2009, the UK has pledged an additional 20 million to help meet needs in Gaza, bringing the total UK response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to nearly 27 million since the conflict started.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer provided to the hon. Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson) on 28 January 2009,  Official Report , column 613-14W.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department plans to take to provide assistance to the people of Zimbabwe in the next 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development's (DFID) programme in Zimbabwe is focused on providing immediate humanitarian support and broader livelihoods assistance to meet the essential needs of the people of Zimbabwe. This year we have provided: 9 million to the World Food programme for food aid; 10 million to support the growing season; and 9 million to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. We also recently made 10 million available to tackle the cholera outbreak and support life-saving essential health systems. The UK is one of the largest donors giving 45 million last year in aid. We anticipate a total spend of 47 million this financial year across these areas of life-saving need. Our aid is channelled through the UN and NGOs and not the Government of Zimbabwe.
	We anticipate the need for sustained large-scale humanitarian support from the international community for the foreseeable future and we are monitoring the situation very closely. However, a sustainable and credible political solution is required to really address Zimbabwe's problems. In principle, we are ready to support economic and social recovery in Zimbabwe but the nature of our support will be contingent on a new administration's commitment to change, including: commitment to macroeconomic stabilisation; restoration of the rule of law; commitment to democracy and respect for human rights and full humanitarian access.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Redundancy

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of his Department's local offices to assist people made redundant.

Tony McNulty: Jobcentre Plus is well prepared: it is increasing its staffing levels and ensuring it has the office and infrastructure capacity it needs to respond to the current economic situation.
	For those under threat of redundancy, we are doubling the resources available to the Jobcentre Plus rapid response teams who offer immediate advice to affected employers and individuals to help them with their next steps.

Bereavement Benefits

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the target processing period is for applications for bereavement benefit.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 20 January 2009
	 There is no national target for the processing of applications for bereavement benefits although we aim to deliver bereavement allowance within 15 days and bereavement payment within 10 days.
	Payment of bereavement benefits has now been centralised nationally into two benefit delivery centres at Arbroath and Dover in order to improve the service to our customers. Between April and December 2008 new bereavement allowance claims were processed in just over 15 days on average and new bereavement payment claims in just over nine days on average.

Children: Maintenance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many parents with care were owed Child Support Agency maintenance arrears in each month since May 1997;
	(2)  what the average amount of Child Support Agency maintenance arrears owed to parents with care was per case in each month since May 1997;
	(3)  what the average amount of child maintenance arrears outstanding was on all Child Support Agency cases with maintenance outstanding in each month since May 1997.

Kitty Ussher: The administration of the child maintenance system is a matter for the Commissioner of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	;
	; and
	What the average amount of child maintenance arrears outstanding was on all Child Support Agency cases with maintenance outstanding in each month since May 1997.
	The analysis required to respond to your questions is only available on information held from March 2007. Such information as is currently available is provided in the attached table.
	It should be noted that the majority of child maintenance cases will have some debt. In particular all new cases will accrue debt unless the non-resident parent provides support while the liability is being assessed. In addition around a third of non-resident parents fail to regularly pay the maintenance they should and this debt will continue to accrue. Therefore where there are maintenance arrears the average amount owed to parents with care is around 2,600, although in fact around a quarter of all cases with arrears owe less than 170 or less than two monthly maintenance payments.
	In the twelve months to September 2008 the Agency collected 1,088 million in child maintenance, of which 149 million was arrears. In the month of September 2008 alone, the Agency collected or arranged 98.7 million in maintenance of which 14.6 million was arrears. This is the highest level of maintenance and arrears collected or arranged by the Agency in one month ever.
	The Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act strengthens the range of enforcement and debt management powers available to the new Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. These will be used to enable the Commission to more effectively recover outstanding debt.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Open cases with outstanding maintenance arrears from March 2007 to September 2008. This includes those cases without outstanding arrears at September 2008. 
			  Month  Cases without outstanding arrears( 1)  Cases with arrears due to parent with care( 2)  Average arrears owed to parent with care( 2 ) ()  Average total arrears( 3)  () 
			 March 2007  636,500 2,700 3,700 
			 June 2007  656,600 2,700 3,700 
			 September 2007  670,600 2,700 3,600 
			 December 2007  686,800 2,600 3,600 
			 March 2008  697,100 2,600 3,500 
			 June 2008  711,800 2,600 3,500 
			 September 2008 563,000 718,800 2,600 3,500 
			 (1) Refers to open cases including those without a current liability. (2) Information provided only includes open cases including those without a current liability where debt is owed to the parent with care. This excludes debt owed to the Secretary of State as well as some cases where the parent with care owes money. (3) Includes total debt on open cases including those without a current liability which is owed by non resident parents to the parent with care and/or Secretary of State. This excludes debt where money is owed to the non-resident parent.  Notes: 1. Data only available from March 2007 onwards. 2. All figures rounded to nearest 100.

Children: Maintenance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the largest amount of maintenance arrears outstanding on a single case with the Child Support Agency was in each month in each year since May 1997;
	(2)  what the largest amount of maintenance arrears which the Child Support Agency has requested be settled in full was in each of the last 24 months.

Kitty Ussher: The administration of the child maintenance system is a matter for the Commissioner of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the largest amount of maintenance arrears outstanding on a single case with the Child Support Agency in each
	and
	What is the largest amount of maintenance arrears which the Child Support Agency has requested be settled in full in each of the last 24 months.
	The Agency cannot comment on individual cases and this extends to an individual not being able to identify themselves in public statistics. As data disclosure exemptions prevent the supply of information on an individual case being published in the public domain, information is provided in the attached table on the average debt owed by non-resident parents, taken from the top five per cent of cases in each month from March 2007. This includes a small enough percentage of cases to accurately represent the highest debt cases but a high enough number of cases not to disclose an individuals details.
	Information is not available on the largest amount of arrears requested to be settled in full as this is not routinely recorded by the Agency.
	
		
			  The average debt owed by non-resident parents, taken from the top 5 per cent. of cases in each month from March 2007. 
			   Number of cases  Average debt () 
			 March 2007 49,500 32,400 
			 April 2007 50,000 32,300 
			 May 2007 50,600 32,200 
			 Jun 2007 51,000 32,000 
			 July 2007 51,300 32,000 
			 August 2007 51,800 31,800 
			 September 2007 52,100 31,800 
			 October 2007 52,500 31,700 
			 November 2007 52,800 31,600 
			 December 2007 53,200 31,500 
			 January 2008 53,300 31,500 
			 February 2008 53,000 31,500 
			 March 2008 53,900 31,400 
			 April 2008 54,200 31,300 
			 May 2008 54,500 31,300 
			 June 2008 54,800 31,300 
			 July 2008 55,100 31,200 
			 August 2008 55,000 31,300 
			 September 2008 54,600 31,400 
			  Notes: 1. Only includes cases with a positive debt owed by the non-resident parent. Some cases have a 'negative' debt where money is owed to the non resident parent. 2. Figures are extracted from the Agency's debt book. This is only available from March 2007.

Crisis Loans

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people were subject to  (a) a county court claim by his Department and  (b) a county court judgement as a result of such a claim for defaulting on repayments of a (i) crisis loan and (ii) budget loan in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people have had items repossessed following default on repayments of  (a) a crisis loan and  (b) a budgeting loan in each year since 1997;
	(3)  in how many instances bailiffs have been used to recover repayments of  (a) a crisis loan and  (b) a budgeting loan in each year since 1997;
	(4)  how many bankruptcy orders have been issued following default on repayments of a  (a) crisis loan and  (b) budgeting loan in each year since 1997.

Kitty Ussher: Where a person is in receipt of benefit, recovery is by means of deductions from benefit only.
	Court action is only taken against those no longer receiving benefits. Such action is taken only should a voluntary arrangement not be possible, or if there is a default on that arrangement. The Department does not seek repossession of items in default cases, neither does the Department take bankruptcy action.
	The information relating to the number of occasions bailiffs have been used is not available.
	The number of people subject to a county court claim by the Department for Work and Pensions for defaulting on Social Fund repayments is set out as follows. The information cannot be separated between Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans. No action has been taken to enforce recovery of outstanding loans through the courts since 2005-06.
	
		
			  Number of court claims in social fund cases 
			   Number 
			 1997-98 14,417 
			 1998-99 12,005 
			 1999-2000 15,619 
			 2000-01 10,688 
			 2001-02 7,861 
			 2002-03 5,878 
			 2003-04 6,009 
			 2004-05 3,792 
			 2005-06 1,076 
			  Note: Data prior to 2003-04 has been supplied by the courts. 
		
	
	As part of the Department's programme to bring increased focus to the management and recovery of debt generally, the decision was made to transfer the management and recovery of social fund off-benefit cases to the Department's specialist Debt Management unit. This commenced in 2005. Referring the outstanding social fund loans to Debt Management has enabled the use of their specialist skills in pursuing recovery from customers who are no longer in receipt of benefit.
	This transfer of cases to Debt Management has already resulted in significant recoveries on loans from those no longer in receipt of benefit, without a need to refer for court enforcement.

Housing Benefit

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken to process a housing benefit claim was in each year since 1997.

Kitty Ussher: The available information is in the table:
	
		
			  Average days to process housing benefit claims2001-02 to 2007-08 
			   Average days 
			 2001-02 59 
			 2002-03 53 
			 2003-04 50 
			 2004-05 45 
			 2005-06 37 
			 2006-07 33 
			 2007-08 27 
			  Notes: 1. Housing benefit claim processing times are measured in calendar days from the day a claim is received to the date a decision is made. 2. Claim processing performance data is supplied to DWP by local authorities and is un-audited. 3. Not all local authorities provide all four quarters worth of data. Where a local authority has not provided data in a particular quarter, the data they have provided is multiplied to cover the appropriate period; this is then used to calculate the national average.  Source: Local authority management information returns to DWP

Pension Credit: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of pensioners in  (a) Castle Point constituency,  (b) Essex and  (c) England claim pension credit.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 29 January 2009
	 The answer is in the following table.
	
		
			   Castle Point constituency  Essex  England 
			 Households in receipt of pension credit 4,150 55,410 2,275,670 
			 Individual beneficiaries 5,330 68,310 2,780,470 
			 Total pensioner population 23,172 324,950 11,063,010 
			 Proportion of pensioners claiming (percentage) 18 17 21 
			  Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 3. Individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners. 4. Pensioners have been defined as anyone aged 60 or over. 5. Percentages of pensioner population have been calculated using the ONS mid year population estimates (2007) for the age group 60 and over. 6. Percentages of pensioner population at constituency level have been calculated based on the ONS mid year population estimates (2006) at constituency level which are experimental data and therefore not part of the National Statistics. These experimental statistics are still under evaluation by ONS and should be interpreted with caution. The population estimates are published at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15095  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data, Office for National Statistics

Pension Disability and Carers Service: Standards

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions he has met with representatives of the Pension Service to discuss its performance; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 29 January 2009
	Ministers at the Department for Work and Pensions meet regularly with colleagues from the Pension, Disability and Carers Service to discuss a range of matters.

Pensioners: North East

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in each constituency in the North East claimed pension credit in each year since its introduction.

Rosie Winterton: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Household recipients of pension credit in each constituency in the north-east, November 2003 to May  20 08 
			  Parliamentary constituency  November 2003  May 2004  May 2005  May 2006  May 2007  May 2008 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 3,110 3,850 4,120 4,160 4,210 4,250 
			 Bishop Auckland 4,770 5,520 5,830 5,830 5,890 5,760 
			 Blaydon 3,680 4,710 4,970 5,010 4,980 4,940 
			 Blyth Valley 3,200 4,090 4,390 4,380 4,380 4,270 
			 City of Durham 3,250 3,820 4,040 4,080 4,060 4,020 
			 Darlington 4,010 4,610 4,970 5,020 5,070 5,070 
			 Easington 4,010 4,800 5,070 5,150 5,160 5,140 
			 Gateshead East and Washington West 4,120 5,010 5,330 5,260 5,360 5,330 
			 Hartlepool 5,070 5,940 6,300 6,270 6,250 6,180 
			 Hexham 2,200 2,780 2,950 2,940 2,940 2,960 
			 Houghton and Washington East 4,070 5,030 5,360 5,420 5,430 5,420 
			 Jarrow 4,640 5,460 5,800 5,870 5,900 5,880 
			 Middlesbrough 4,970 5,760 6,010 5,960 5,940 5,990 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 3,960 4,710 5,030 5,130 5,120 5,190 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Central 3,820 4,320 4,510 4,530 4,510 4,480 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend 4,820 5,560 5,850 5,770 5,740 5,590 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne North 4,200 4,890 5,190 5,250 5,180 5,210 
			 North Durham 4,310 5,090 5,450 5,470 5,510 5,520 
			 North Tyneside 4,690 5,570 6,040 6,070 6,100 5,930 
			 North West Durham 4,950 5,790 6,010 6,010 5,980 5,880 
			 Redcar 4,200 5,000 5,290 5,300 5,350 5,340 
			 Sedgefield 4,020 4,720 5,030 5,040 4,980 4,980 
			 South Shields 4,960 5,780 6,200 6,190 6,140 6,050 
			 Stockton North 4,040 4,790 5,100 5,180 5,180 5,200 
			 Stockton South 3,150 3,760 3,990 4,080 4,110 4,050 
			 Sunderland North 5,100 5,930 6,300 6,360 6,350 6,300 
			 Sunderland South 5,180 6,080 6,400 6,430 6,430 6,370 
			 Tyne Bridge 5,110 5,860 6,060 6,030 5,980 5,900 
			 Tynemouth 3,760 4,460 4,770 4,830 4,820 4,800 
			 Wansbeck 2,920 3,910 4,330 4,380 4,400 4,360 
			 Total 124,280 147,570 156,680 157,430 157,440 156,350 
			  Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt is rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data

Post Office Card Account: Contracts

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what compensation he has agreed to pay to the unsuccessful bidders for the Post Office Card Account tendering process.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Djanogly) on 10 December 2008,  Official Report, column 105W.

Recovery from Estates Debt Management Unit

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was recovered by his Department's Recovery from Estates Debt Management Unit in each year since 1997 for which information is available; and what the cost of running the Unit was in each such year.

Kitty Ussher: Recovery from Estates (RFE) is responsible for the recovery of overpaid benefit from the estates of deceased customers in England and Wales. This involves:
	checking records of deceased customers against probate records and taking action to recover money incorrectly paid; and
	recovering any overpayments that were outstanding on the death of a customer.
	RFE do not recover:
	Overpayments made after death;
	Official error overpayments
	RFE recovery data is only available from 2003, costing data from 2005.
	
		
			  Recovery 
			   RFE () 
			 2003-04 20,832,955 
			 2004-05 20,846,483 
			 2005-06 18,267,983 
			 2006-07 13,698,328 
			 2007-08 23,283,557 
		
	
	
		
			  Costs 
			   RFE ( million) 
			 2005-06 1.4 
			 2006-07 1.3 
			 2007-08 1.4

Social Security Benefits: Disabled People

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support is available through the benefits system to parents with disabled children between the ages of 16 and 18 to help them with childcare costs.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 19 January 2009
	Jobcentre Plus pays childcare costs within the limits set under the child care element of the working tax credit, on behalf of parents who are claiming out of work benefits who have a disabled child.
	For children in receipt of disability living allowance or who are registered blind, child care costs can be paid up to, but not including, the first Tuesday in the September following the child's 16th birthday.
	Parents are eligible to claim the cost of registered child care when they are undertaking certain activities in connection with their search for work or when they are attending work focused training. To qualify for child care payments, all activities must be approved by a Jobcentre Plus adviser.
	Parents can claim tax credit for a child who lives with them, up to 31 August after the 16th birthday. Child care costs can be claimed through the child care element for a disabled child until the last day in which 1 September falls, following the child's 16(th) birthday. The age limit is otherwise the child's 15th birthday.
	The Aiming High for Disabled Children review found that more needed to be done to co-ordinate services for disabled young people in transition to adult life, and to ensure young people and families can access high quality information at key points. To address this the Government announced 19 million over the period 2008 to 2011 to develop a 'Transition Support Programme' for young disabled people, which will seek to raise the standards of transition support and provision and achieve greater consistency in all local areas.

Social Security Benefits: Overpayments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people were subject to  (a) a county court claim by his Department and  (b) a county court judgement as a result of such a claim for repayments of overpayments of (i) jobseeker's allowance, (ii) income support, (iii) incapacity benefit, (iv) carers allowance, (v) attendance allowance, (vi) pension credit and (vii) the state pension in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people have had items repossessed following default on repayments of overpayments of  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) income support,  (c) incapacity benefit,  (d) carers allowance,  (e) attendance allowance,  (f) pension credit and  (g) the state pension in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many instances bailiffs have been used to recover repayments of overpayments of  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) income support,  (c) incapacity benefit,  (d) carers allowance,  (e) attendance allowance,  (f) pension credit and  (g) the state pension in each year since 1997;
	(4)  how many bankruptcy orders have been issued against individuals following their default on repayments of overpayments of  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) income support,  (c) incapacity benefit,  (d) carers allowance,  (e) attendance allowance,  (f) pension credit and  (g) the state pension in each year since 1997 for which information is available;
	(5)  in how many cases his Department has pursued repayment of overpayments of benefit following the death of a claimant through a county court claim in each of the last five years, broken down by benefit type.

Kitty Ussher: In cases where there is an overpayment of benefit outstanding, court action is only taken against those no longer receiving benefits. Such action is taken only should a voluntary arrangement not be possible, or if there is a default on that arrangement. The Department does not seek repossession of items in default cases, neither does the Department take bankruptcy action.
	The information relating to the number of occasions bailiffs have been used is not available.
	There are two types of actions the Department takes in county courts, depending on whether or not recovery is sought from an estate of a deceased customer.
	 1. Where recovery is  sought from the person overpaid:
	The action the Department takes in county courts to recover overpayments of benefit is to seek an Order for Recovery of Money Awarded by a Tribunal. This does not result in a county court judgment.
	Between 2005 and 2008, no civil action in county courts was initiated by the Department in cases of this type. During this period, resources were concentrated on establishing the newly created Debt Management unit, with new processes, a new structure and new IT. This succeeded in increasing the total amount recovered from 180 million in 2005 to 2006, to just under 272 million in 2007 to 2008.
	Some limited court action was taken by the Department's private sector partners during this period. They obtained charging orders in nine high value overpayment cases.
	The Department recommenced county court action in overpayment cases from January 2008, and during 2008 1,700 orders were sought from the court. Information relating to the breakdown between benefits is not available.
	Information for the period prior to 2005 is not available.
	 2. Where recovery is sought from a n estate of a deceased customer:
	In cases where there is an overpayment outstanding at a customer's death, or where an overpayment is identified after death based on information that comes to light after death, such as undeclared occupational pensions or under declared savings, recovery is sought from the estate. In certain cases, where repayment is not made, the Department may take the executor to the county court on the basis of maladministration of the estate. Such actions can result in county court judgments.
	The Department does not take action through the court to pursue recovery of overpayments arising as a result of a payment made directly into a bank account after death.
	Details of the number of cases where county court action has been taken are in the table. We are not able to say how many resulted in county court judgments, or say which benefits they related to.
	Information prior to April 2005 is not available.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 47 
			 2006-07 57 
			 2007-08 56

Social Security Benefits: Overpayments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the monetary value was of repayments of overpayments requested by his Department following the death of a claimant in circumstances where such repayments were not mandatory under social security legislation and where the family members of the deceased claimants challenged the requests and did not subsequently make the repayments in each of the last five years, broken down by benefit type;
	(2)  what the monetary value was of repayments of overpayments of benefits requested by his Department following the death of a claimant, where such repayments were not mandatory under social security legislation in each of the last five years, broken down by benefit type;
	(3)  in how many cases overpayments of benefit have been reclaimed following the death of a claimant where such repayments were not mandatory under social security legislation in each of the last five years, broken down by benefit type;
	(4)  in how many cases his Department has not pursued requests for repayment of overpayments following the death of a claimant in circumstances where the repayment was challenged by family members and where the repayment was not mandatory under social security legislation in each of the last five years;
	(5)  in how many cases where his Department requested repayment of overpayments following the death of a claimant where such repayments were not mandatory under social security legislation, such requests were not challenged by family members in each of the last five years.

Kitty Ussher: Unfortunately, through no fault of any individual, overpayments of benefit can arise following the death of a benefit recipient. Such overpayments normally arise as a result of the Department being notified of the death too late to stop an automated payment being made into the deceased's account.
	We are doing all we can to improve the current process. We now receive electronic notifications of death from the Office for National Statistics on a daily basis. This will assist in enabling a prompt cessation of payments following death and reduce the number of these overpayments occurring.
	The Department has a duty to seek recovery of all overpaid funds where it is reasonable and cost effective to do so. However, we seek to do this as sensitively as possible, taking account of the fact that this will be a stressful time, particularly if the person contacted is a close friend or family member. Overpayments are written off if the deceased has no estate or there are insufficient funds in the estate.
	The Department does not have records to answer all the questions in the format asked. However, we do have data on the value and volume of cases of overpayments where recovery has been made, and data on those that have been written off. The details are in the following tables.
	Direct payments after deathdebts written off. These data are only available from 2006, and by benefit only from 2007.
	
		
			   Volume of cases  Value written off ( million) 
			 2006-07 157,722 27.3 
			 2007-08 198,516 27.4 
		
	
	Write off by benefit for fiscal year 2007-08 is in the following table:
	
		
			  Benefit type name  Count of transactions  Transaction amount () 
			 Attendance allowance 42,027 -4,359,425.89 
			 Bereavement allowance 28 -5,524.32 
			 Carers allowance 476 -59,692.00 
			 Christmas bonus (contributory) 1,251 -10,521.18 
			 Christmas bonus (non-contributory) 335 -2,530.00 
			 Constant attendance allowance 11 -1,591.40 
			 Disability living allowance: care Compnt 10,563 -1,973,865.87 
			 Disability living allowancecare/mob 9,928 -1,924,048.96 
			 Disability living allowance: mobility com 3,383 -425,446.16 
			 Disability working allowance 6 -1,044.40 
			 Exceptionally severe disablement allowance 2 -258.10 
			 Incapacity benefit 4,556 -737,002.81 
			 Income support 2,012 -525,965.59 
			 Industrial death benefit 105 -15,796.19 
			 Industrial injuries benefit 33 -8,488.15 
			 Industrial injuries disablement benefit 2,313 -258,131.92 
			 Jobseeker's allowance: contribution based 2 -98.48 
			 Jobseeker's allowance: income based 7 -716.19 
			 Maternity allowance 1 -225.50 
			 Mobility allowance 6 -2,218.80 
			 Non-contributory retirement pension 8 -931.11 
			 Pension credit 37,207 -3,800,062.84 
			 Reduced earnings allowance 20 -1,487.47 
			 Retirement allowance 22 -572.07 
			 Retirement pension: contributory 83,661 13,170,990.65 
			 Severe disablement allowance 432 -55,430.96 
			 Widowed mother's allowance 9 -1,972.19 
			 Widowed parent's allowance 10 -1,626.99 
			 Widows pension 101 -19,124.14 
			 Winter fuel payments 1 -200.00 
			  198,516 -27,364,990.33 
		
	
	The following table details how much has been recovered by benefit. These data are only available from June 2005.
	
		
			  Value of recoveries of payments made after death 
			   
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Attendance allowance 2,978,730 4,707,183 7,421,303 
			 Carers allowance 13,468 3,828 20,165 
			 Constant attendance allowance 0 153 1,661 
			 Disability living allowancecare/mob 1,734,359 1,557,216 2,307,649 
			 Incapacity benefit 122,389 302,169 437,889 
			 Income support 49,887 47,923 89,213 
			 Invalid care allowance 84,926 609 0 
			 Industrial injuries benefit 129,433 83,822 24,892 
			 Industrial death benefit 52,661 28,033 34,913 
			 Industrial injuries disablement benefit 819 148,451 315,590 
			 Invalidity benefit 6,357 1,626 7,350 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 406 235 146 
			 Mobility allowance 5,269 2,447 506 
			 Pension credit 1,519,458 3,677,487 4,614,515 
			 Retirement pension/state pension 13,793,186 27,372,631 30,645,177 
			 Severe disablement allowance 19,419 36,254 47,752 
			 Widows benefit 11,467 12,020 12,604 
			 Widows pension 0 3,671 11,563 
			 Other 7,089 17,647 57,882 
			 Sum 20,529,323 38,003,406 46,050,769 
			  Note: Data for 2005-06 are for the period June 2005 to March 2006 only. 
		
	
	The following table provides the number of cases where a recovery has been made.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007/08 
			 Attendance allowance 30,665 47,757 77,013 
			 Carers allowance 252 39 213 
			 Constant attendance allowance 0 2 19 
			 DLA 13,015 10,987 16,561 
			 Incapacity benefit 975 2,226 3,188 
			 Income support 337 289 531 
			 Invalid care allowance 3,123 5 0 
			 Industrial injuries benefit 1,180 670 122 
			 Industrial death benefit 372 194 209 
			 Industrial injuries disablement benefit 6 1,388 2,839 
			 Invalidity benefit 51 21 29 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 4 3 2 
			 Mobility allowance 176 49 36 
			 Pension credit 16,884 40,799 54,834 
			 Retirement pension/state pension 81,948 164,060 183,242 
			 Severe disablement allowance 124 300 398 
			 Widows benefit 57 47 18 
			 Widows pension 0 23 54 
			 Other 109 562 3,063 
			  149,278 269,421 342,371

State Retirement Pensions

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account is taken in calculating pensions of working years additional to those required for a full state pension if they occurred prior to an individual reaching retirement age.

Rosie Winterton: People attaining state pension age after 5 April 2010 will only need 30 qualifying years of national insurance contributions to gain a full basic state pension. People will continue to build up entitlement to the additional state pension on class 1 contributions paid beyond those years required for entitlement to a full basic pension.
	In addition, as now, national insurance contributions will provide entitlement not just to state pension but to a range of contributory benefits. Contributions will continue to pay for benefits when people are sick or unemployed and bereavement benefits.

Winter Fuel Payments

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of households in  (a) Eastbourne,  (b) East Sussex and  (c) the UK in which more than one individual receives the winter fuel allowance.

Rosie Winterton: The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows the total number of individuals who received a winter fuel payment and those who received a shared payment. Figures are for winter 2006-07, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			   Total number of payments  Shared payments 
			 Eastbourne parliamentary constituency 28,280 13,360 
			 East Sussex local authority 135,350 67,260 
			 GB 11,702,900 5,485,450 
			  Notes: 1. A shared payment is made if there is more than one person entitled in a household. If however, an entitled person is receiving pension credit, income-based jobseeker's allowance or income support then their payment is not shared. In these cases that person receives a full payment. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten. 3. Parliamentary constituencies and counties are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.  Source: Information directorate 100 per cent data. 
		
	
	We expect that similar numbers of individuals will receive shared winter fuel payments in 2008-09.

Winter Fuel Payments: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of households in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in which more than one individual receives the winter fuel allowance.

Rosie Winterton: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows the total number of individuals who received a winter fuel payment and those who received a shared payment. Figures are for winter 2006-07, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			   Total number of payments  Shared payments 
			 Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency 17,960 8,840 
			 Hertfordshire local authority 203,490 103,300 
			  Notes: 1. A shared payment is made if there is more than one person entitled in a household. If however, an entitled person is receiving pension credit, income-based jobseeker's allowance or income support then their payment is not shared. In these cases that person receives a full payment.  2. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.  Source: Information directorate 100 per cent. data. 
		
	
	We expect that similar numbers of households will receive winter fuel payments in 2008-09.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) were prosecuted,  (b) were cautioned and  (c) received a penalty notice for disorder for (i) purchasing and (ii) selling alcohol under age in 2007.

Alan Campbell: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, issued with a caution, or penalty notice for disorder for selected alcohol offences, in England and Wales for 2007 are given in tables 1 and 2.
	
		
			  Table 1:  N umber of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, and issued with a caution or a Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) for purchasing, or attempting to purchase, alcohol by a person under 18( 1) , England and Wales, 2007( 2) 
			   Number 
			 Total proceeded against(3) 10 
			 Total cautions issued(4) 31 
			 Total PNDs issued 158 
			 (1) Data includes the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Person under 18 buying or attempting to buy or consuming intoxicating liquor in Licensed premisesLicensing Act 1964 SS. 169C(1) and El as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1, Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 S.3 Sch. Para. 4(2) Purchase of alcohol by an individual under 18Licensing Act 2003 S.149 (l)(7)(a) Buy or attempting to buy alcohol by person under 18Licensing Act 2003 S.149(1) (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The 'Total proceeded against' statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. Cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2:  N umber of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, and issued with a caution or a Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) for sale, or allowing sale, of alcohol to a person under 18( 1) , England and Wales, 2007( 2) 
			   Number 
			 Total proceeded against(3) 661 
			 Total cautions issued(4) 42 
			 Total PNDs issued 3,583 
			 (1) Data includes the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premisesLicensing Act 1964 S. 169 A and B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S. 1, Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 S.3 [Sch. Para. 4 (1)] Sale of alcohol to person under 18Licensing Act 2003 S. 146 Allowing sale of alcohol to person under 18Licensing Act 2003 S. 147 Sale of alcohol to person under 18Licensing Act 2003 S. 146(1) (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The 'Total proceeded against' statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. Cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) individuals and  (b) establishments have been prosecuted for selling alcohol to under-age people in each year since 2003, broken down by police force area.

Alan Campbell: Data showing the number of males, females and other defendants proceeded against for selling alcohol to persons aged under 18, in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) are shown in Table 1 and Table 2 and shows the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued for Sale of alcohol to a person aged under 18 by gender from 2004 to 2007 (latest available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of males, females and other defendants( 1)  proceeded against at magistrates courts for selling alcohol to persons aged under 18( 2) , in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007, broken down by police force area( 3, 4) 
			  Force  Sex  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset Male 1  7 2  
			  Female   7 3 1 
			  Other Defendant 1 
			  Total 2  14 5 1 
			
			 Bedfordshire Male 1 5 10 23 2 
			  Female 1 2  1  
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 2 7 10 24 2 
			
			 Cambridgeshire Male  3 6 16 8 
			  Female  1 3 11 2 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total  4 9 27 10 
			
			 Cheshire Male 8 14 4 6 6 
			  Female 7 6 4   
			  Other Defendant 1 
			  Total 16 20 8 6 6 
			
			 Cleveland Male 1 6 11 8 8 
			  Female 1 4 3 3 5 
			  Other Defendant 2 
			  Total 4 10 14 11 13 
			
			 Cumbria Male 1 1 2 1 1 
			  Female   6   
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 1 1 8 1 1 
			
			 Derbyshire Male 27 18 9 7 6 
			  Female 10 4 4 1 1 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 37 22 13 8 7 
			
			 Devon and Cornwall Male  7 5 4 3 
			  Female  5 3 2 2 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total  12 8 6 5 
			
			 Dorset Male 7 6 30 6 2 
			  Female 2 4 5 1  
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 9 10 35 7 2 
			
			 Durham Male  2 2  1 
			  Female 2 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total  2 2  3 
			 Essex Male 4 1 8 14 12 
			  Female 3 1  2 2 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 7 2 8 16 14 
			
			 Gloucestershire Male  1 4 9 3 
			  Female   1 1  
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total  1 5 10 3 
			
			 Greater Manchester Male 85 124 81 111 30 
			  Female 40 55 36 48 5 
			  Other Defendant 4 1  1  
			  Total 129 180 117 160 35 
			
			 Hampshire Male  6 7 2 4 
			  Female  3 4   
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total  9 11 2 4 
			
			 Hertfordshire Male 1 7 3 40 21 
			  Female  1   2 
			  Other Defendant 1 
			  Total 1 8 3 40 24 
			
			 Humberside Male  3 2 3 2 
			  Female  8  3 3 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total  11 2 6 5 
			
			 Kent Male 9 10 13 2 2 
			  Female 3 3 1   
			  Other Defendant  2
			  Total 12 15 14 2 2 
			
			 Lancashire Male 15 14 49 22 24 
			  Female 8 8 40 10 3 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 23 22 89 32 27 
			
			 Leicestershire Male 9 9 21 35 40 
			  Female 6 1 6 10 15 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 15 10 27 45 55 
			
			 Lincolnshire Male 9 3 7 5 2 
			  Female 8 1 4 5 1 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 17 4 11 10 3 
			
			 Merseyside Male 25 13 12 12 21 
			  Female 16 6 4 22 7 
			  Other Defendant 1 
			  Total 42 19 16 34 28 
			 Metropolitan Police Male 84 133 223 197 136 
			  Female 13 22 28 24 18 
			  Other Defendant 16 12 2 15 22 
			  Total 113 167 253 236 176 
			
			 Norfolk Male 1 6   1 
			  Female  3 3  1 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 1 9 3  2 
			
			 North Yorkshire Male 3 16 2 25 16 
			  Female 4 6 1 16 13 
			  Other Defendant27  
			  Total 7 22 3 68 29 
			
			 Northamptonshire Male   7 11 7 
			  Female   4 2  
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total   11 13 7 
			
			 Northumbria Male 31 36 65 30 8 
			  Female 7 14 14 10 4 
			  Other Defendant  1  1  
			  Total 38 51 79 41 12 
			
			 Nottinghamshire Male 5  6 26 3 
			  Female 4  5 11 2 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 9  11 37 5 
			
			 South Yorkshire Male  4 11 8 4 
			  Female  1 7 2 3 
			  Other Defendant 2 
			  Total  5 18 10 9 
			
			 Staffordshire Male 3 5 14 13 16 
			  Female 5  6 10 10 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 8 5 20 23 26 
			
			 Suffolk Male  1 1 2  
			  Female   2 2  
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total  1 3 4  
			
			 Surrey Male 4 9 12 17 3 
			  Female  1 1 1 2 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 4 10 13 18 5 
			
			 Sussex Male 7 3 2 23 8 
			  Female 1 1 2 9 3 
			  Other Defendant1  
			  Total 8 4 4 33 11 
			 Thames Valley Male 2 19 6 28 14 
			  Female 4 8 9 8 6 
			  Other Defendant  1
			  Total 6 28 15 36 20 
			
			 Warwickshire Male 19 17 5 2 1 
			  Female 7 9 2   
			  Other Defendant 1 
			  Total 27 26 7 2 1 
			
			 West Mercia Male 7 3 17 10 5 
			  Female  1 2   
			  Other Defendant  1
			  Total 7 5 19 10 5 
			
			 West Midlands Male 20 34 53 55 40 
			  Female  11 22 18 16 
			  Other Defendant   1 1 1 
			  Total 20 45 76 74 57 
			
			 West Yorkshire Male 1 17 9 14 8 
			  Female  4 6 3 1 
			  Other Defendant 1 
			  Total 2 21 15 17 9 
			
			 Wiltshire Male 4 5 16 9 5 
			  Female 1 3 7 1 1 
			  Other Defendant 1 2
			  Total 6 10 23 10 6 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys Male 5 15 4 12 6 
			  Female  9 2 4 4 
			  Other Defendant2 3 
			  Total 5 24 6 18 13 
			
			 Gwent Male  8 13 14 8 
			  Female 2 12 3 6 5 
			  Other Defendant1  
			  Total 2 20 16 21 13 
			
			 North Wales Male 4 3 8 3 6 
			  Female 3 2 2 1 2 
			  Other Defendant  
			  Total 7 5 10 4 8 
			
			 South Wales Male 24 27 40 56 22 
			  Female 5 6 15 15 4 
			  Other Defendant  1  1 3 
			  Total 29 34 55 72 29 
			
			 England and Wales Male 427 614 807 883 515 
			  Female 161 225 274 266 146 
			  Other Defendant 28 22 3 50 32 
			  Total 616 861 1,084 1,199 693 
			 (1) Other defendants include companies and public bodies etc. (2) Includes the following offences: (a) Holder of occasional permission or his agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell, intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises. (b) Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. (c) Sale of alcohol to person under 18. (d) Allowing sale of alcohol to person under 18. (e) Persistently selling alcohol to children (3) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken lo ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence  Analysis Unit - Office for Criminal Justice Reform 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued for Sale of alcohol to a person under 18, England and Wales, 2004( 1)  to 2007, broken down by police force area 
			  Force  Sex  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset Male  29 25 33 
			  Female  27 29 27 
			  Total  56 54 60 
			   
			 Bedfordshire Male  1 6 10 
			  Female  1 7 3 
			  Total  2 13 13 
			   
			 Cambridgeshire Male  8 3 14 15 16 6 
			  Female 
			  Total  11 29 22 
			   
			 Cheshire Male  21 19 19 
			  Female  28 31 7 
			  Total  49 50 26 
			   
			 Cleveland Male  10 10 27 
			  Female  23 13 38 
			  Total  33 23 65 
			   
			 Cumbria Male  10 11 13 
			  Female  13 10 27 
			  Total  23 21 40 
			   
			 Derbyshire Male  5 16 50 
			  Female  3 14 51 
			  Total  8 30 101 
			   
			 Devon and Cornwall Male  32 54 31 
			  Female  50 61 38 
			  Total  82 115 69 
			   
			 Dorset Male 13 3 9 20 
			  Female 9 19 20 15 
			  Total 22 22 29 35 
			   
			 Durham Male   1 12 
			  Female13 
			  Total   1 25 
			 Essex Male 3 60 42 53 
			  Female 4 60 52 58 
			  Total 7 120 94 111 
			   
			 Gloucestershire Male  17 28 44 
			  Female  25 26 42 
			  Total  42 54 86 
			   
			 Greater Manchester Male  60 122 98 
			  Female  67 89 43 
			  Total  127 211 141 
			   
			 Hampshire Male 1 31 57 114 
			  Female 1 36 52 91 
			  Total 2 67 109 205 
			   
			 Hertfordshire Male  2 30 46 
			  Female  1 11 21 
			  Total  3 41 67 
			   
			 Humberside Male 1 13 22 46 
			  Female 1 32 26 52 
			  Total 2 45 48 98 
			   
			 Kent Male  8 3 16 
			  Female  2 2 7 
			  Total  10 5 23 
			   
			 Lancashire Male 17 95 105 100 
			  Female 13 95 101 90 
			  Total 30 190 206 190 
			   
			 Leicestershire Male  22 26 89 
			  Female 2 24 33 61 
			  Total 2 46 59 150 
			   
			 Lincolnshire Male  10 21 15 
			  Female  16 36 39 
			  Total  26 57 54 
			   
			 Merseyside Male 2 44 56 72 
			  Female  29 71 103 
			  Total 2 73 127 175 
			   
			 Metropolitan Police Male 12 113 190 264 
			  Female 9 48 62 77 
			  Total 21 161 252 341 
			   
			 Norfolk Male   5 17 
			  Female   5 19 
			  Total   10 36 
			   
			 Northamptonshire Male 1 15 18 15 
			  Female  24 16 7 
			  Total 1 39 34 22 
			  Male 1 24 47 44 
			 Northumbria Female  24 37 23 
			  Total 1 48 84 67 
			   
			 North Yorkshire Male   4 8 
			  Female   7 17 
			  Total   11 25 
			   
			 Nottinghamshire Male 3 54 125 81 
			  Female 6 63 140 87 
			  Total 9 117 265 168 
			   
			 South Yorkshire Male 1 47 76 69 
			  Female 1 60 82 90 
			  Total 2 107 158 159 
			   
			 Staffordshire Male  6 34 32 
			  Female  13 41 35 
			  Total  19 75 67 
			   
			 Suffolk Male  11 14 7 
			  Female  8 7 13 
			  Total  19 21 20 
			   
			 Surrey Male   22 57 
			  Female   12 15 
			  Total   34 72 
			   
			 Sussex Male  29 116 63 
			  Female  34 100 56 
			  Total  63 216 119 
			   
			 Thames Valley Male  8 59 80 
			  Female  4 36 51 
			  Total  12 95 131 
			   
			 Warwickshire Male  3 1 24 
			  Female   4 13 
			  Total  3 5 37 
			   
			 West Mercia Male  4 11 16 
			  Female 1 18 23 20 
			  Total 1 22 34 36 
			   
			 West Midlands Male 2 69 83 90 
			  Female 4 45 60 45 
			  Total 6 114 143 135 
			   
			 West Yorkshire Male 4 32 64 97 
			  Female  40 41 64 
			  Total 4 72 105 161 
			   
			 Wiltshire Male  5 9 15 
			  Female  3 9 9 
			  Total  8 18 24 
			 Dyfed-Powys Male  6 5 9 
			  Female  12 4 11 
			  Total  18 9 20 
			   
			 Gwent Male  9 27 37 
			  Female  11 23 34 
			  Total  20 50 71 
			   
			 North Wales Male 1 20 41 29 
			  Female  38 42 34 
			  Total 1 58 83 63 
			   
			 South Wales Male  70 67 28 
			  Female  53 50 25 
			  Total  123 117 53 
			   
			 England and Wales Male 62 1006 1695 2006 
			  Female 51 1052 1500 1577 
			  Total 113 2,058 3,195 3,583 
			 (1 )This PND offence was added to the scheme on 1 November 2004.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders were  (a) issued and  (b) breached in (i) Southampton, (ii) Test Valley borough and (iii) the ceremonial county of Hampshire in each of the last three years.

Alan Campbell: Centrally collected data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued and breached are currently available up to 31 December 2006 and are not compiled below CJS area level.
	The number of ASBOs issued at all courts in the Hampshire Criminal Justice System (CJS) area in 2004 was 100 and the number proven in court to have been breached for the first time during 2004 was 46. Equivalent data for 2005 and 2006 are: 112 issued, 56 breached and 66 issued, 67 breached respectively.
	ASBOs became available from April 1999. Many ASBOs which are breached in a particular year will have been issued in a previous year.

Antisocial Behaviour: Crime Prevention

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the anti-social behaviour units within police authorities.

Alan Campbell: Each local area is responsible for setting up and managing its own multi-agency team to tackle antisocial behaviour (ASB). In doing so, it establishes its own priorities according to local needs. In some areas the lead agency is the police while in others it is the local authority. But all local agencies need to work together if anti-social-behaviour is to be tackled effectively and the police service has a key role to play.
	The Government have provided practitioners with a toolkit of enforcement and support tools to tackle antisocial behaviour which they operate according to local priorities. And we know that they are using them. The latest Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) survey of tools and powers shows that between October 2003 and September 2007, CDRPs have:
	Issued more than 30,000 Acceptable Behaviour Contracts,
	Issued over 1,100 crack house closures,
	Issued more than 2,000 parenting orders and 8,600 contracts
	Made 12,675 antisocial behaviour orders (between October 2003 and December 2006; court data)
	Three independent reports including the Home Affairs Select Committee report (2005), the Audit Commission report (May 2006) and the NAO report (December 2006) confirmed that our approach to tackling antisocial behaviour is working.
	Perceptions of levels of antisocial behaviour have fallen16per cent. of people felt that levels of antisocial behaviour were high in 2006-07 compared to 21 per cent. in 2002-03.

Asylum

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) Iraqi and  (b) Syrian refugees were included in the resettlement quota agreed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009; and how many candidates had been identified at the latest date for which figures are available.

Meg Hillier: Under the UK's agreement with UNHCR for the Gateway Protection programme, 500 Iraqi refugees will be resettled during the financial year 2008-09 and 500 during financial year 2009-10.
	500 Iraqi refugees have been identified for resettlement under Gateway during 2008-09. No Iraqi refugees have been yet been identified for resettlement under Gateway during 2009-10.
	The UK has no plans to resettle Syrian nationals under the resettlement quotas in either of the financial years 2008-09 or 2009-10.

Borders: Personal Records

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of travellers through UK ports and airports she estimates will be covered by the e-Borders scheme by August 2012.

Phil Woolas: e-Borders will capture 95 per cent. of passenger and crew movements in and out of the UK by December 2010, with further development of that capability throughout 2011-12 until full operating capability is reached in 2014.

Burglary: Merseyside

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of property crime was attributable to the misuse of class A drugs in Merseyside in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: No annual estimates are made of the levels of property crime attributable to the misuse of class A drugs in Merseyside.
	Research evidence does indicate that a large proportion of acquisitive crime is related to drug use. Published research shows that arrestees who regularly use heroin or crack cocaine are far more likely to have committed acquisitive crimes in the last 12 months than those who do not.
	 Source:
	Table 5.4 Home Office Statistical Bulletin 12/07.
	The estimated number of problem drug users (heroin and/or crack cocaine) for areas in Merseyside is in the range of:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Liverpool 5,675-7,541 
			 Knowsley 1,351-1,858 
			 Sefton 1,683-2,650 
			 St. Helens 1,253-1,677 
			 Wirral 3,179-4,439 
		
	
	The following tables provide the figures for the number of property crimes recorded by Merseyside police from 1997 to 2007-08.
	
		
			  Table 1: Property offences recorded by Merseyside police 1997 
			   Number 
			 1997 112,732 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Property offences recorded by Merseyside police 1998-99 to 2001-02 
			   Number 
			 1998-99 117,891 
			 1999-2000 123,484 
			 2000-01 117,396 
			 2001-02 124,455 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Property offences recorded by Merseyside police 2002-03 to 2007-08 
			   Number 
			 2002-03 128,655 
			 2003-04 131,323 
			 2004-05 125,763 
			 2005-06 122,614 
			 2006-07 114,124 
			  Notes: 1. 'Property crime' comprises the following main offence groups: burglary; offences against vehicles; other theft offences; fraud and forgery; criminal damage. 2. Figures in table 2 are not directly comparable with that in table 1 as the offence coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998-99. 3. The data in table 3 takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.  Sources: Estimates of the prevalence of heroin and/ or crack cocaine useNorth West region: http://www.nta.nhs.uk/areas/facts_and_figures/prevalence_data/docs/0607/North_West_Prevalence_data_0607doc.pdf The Arrestee Survey 2003-06: http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1207.pdf

Civil Servants: Secondment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which external organisations her Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in her Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Phil Woolas: The majority of training that fast stream civil service staff received is provided by the National School of Government. Detailed information on this, and the extent to which we have participated in provision of training for external organisations, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Crime Prevention

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to seek to achieve reductions in levels of  (a) burglary,  (b) vehicle crime and  (c) violent crime since 2004.

Alan Campbell: The Government's Crime Strategy Cutting Crime: A New Partnership 2008-11 published in 2007 outlines a refreshed approach to tackling crime which ensures that crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs)/community safety partnerships (CSPs), including the police, identify and tackle issues of local concern. This approach was further strengthened by the CDRP/CSP reform programme which requires these local partnerships to identify crime types and give sufficient weight to tackling them.
	The Government have exceeded their PSA target 1 To reduce crime by 15 per cent. and further in high crime areas by 2007-08 as measured by the British crime survey with a reduction of 18 per cent. from the 2002-03 baseline year.
	With regards to the specific categories of crime:
	 (a) Burglary
	We have taken forward work on priority concerns including work with prolific and other priority offenders; developing partnerships between the police and local authorities to improve the security of homes and businesses; and raising awareness of security measures through campaigns such as the Let's Keep Crime Down. The Home Secretary is also planning to chair a summit meeting of national organisations on 4 February 2009 to take forward new measures and support people in hard times.
	 (b) Vehicle crime
	Along with domestic burglary, vehicle crime has been included within the definition of serious acquisitive crime, as part of our new set of PSAs and is included under national indicator 16 in the national indicator set for local area agreements and in PSA23 strand 2. ACPO's Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service has worked with police and other practitioners to address vehicle crime. Recorded crime statistics for offences against vehicles have fallen 39 per cent. since 2002-03 (which is the baseline year) compared with 2007-08.
	 (c) Violent crime
	The Government's approach to tackling violent crime is outlined in the publication An Action Plan for Tackling Violence which details the Home Office's priorities with respect to serious violence including work on guns, gangs, knives, domestic and sexual violence. We have also taken forward the Tackling Violent Crime Programme, the Tackling Gangs Action Programme and the Tackling Knives Action Programme. New measures to tackle violent crime have also been enacted in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act and the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006.

Departmental Data Protection

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many electronic and computer files her Department and its agencies lost in transit in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Incidents of personal data losses are recorded centrally but the numbers of electronic and computer files contained within lost data is not recorded. To answer this question would fall into the disproportionate cost threshold.
	The Home Office has publicised details of personal data related incidents notified to the Information Commissioner's Office in 2007-08 in its Resource Accounts published in August 2008. In the first half of 2008-09 a notification was made to the Information Commissioner regarding the PA Consulting data loss incident.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which ICT projects her Department initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was  (a) commenced and  (b) abandoned; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: No ICT projects initiated in this Department have been abandoned by this Department before completion since 1997.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the policy of her Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Flexible working hours (FWH) or flexitime schemes operate widely in the Home Office where the nature of the work allows for it. The schemes give members of staff flexibility over the pattern of their working day. Most Home Office staff take advantage of these schemes which enable them to vary their lunch break.
	The requirements of the Working Time Regulations in relation to excess hours worked should ensure that staff take at least the minimum lunch break each day and do not regularly work long hours.
	Where members of staff who do not use flexible working schemes work outside of their normal contractual hours they may also take any excess hours worked as time off in lieu, or, where it is applicable and appropriate, and dependent on their grade, authorised overtime may be payable or a discretionary payment made.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in  (a) her Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted hours, in the last year for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: Responsibility for granting days off in lieu is delegated to local line management and information on the total number of days in lieu taken by staff in the Home Office and its agencies and NDPBs is therefore not held centrally. For this reason this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Driving Under Influence

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many breath tests were taken in each year since 1997; and how many accidents were caused by drunk drivers in each police authority in each of those years.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on breath tests conducted, broken down by police force area for the years 1997 to 2006 (latest available) are provided in the following table.
	Data for 2007 are due to be published in spring 2009.
	The Department for Transport publishes estimates on the number of drink-drive accidents where one or more of the motor vehicle drivers or riders involved were over the legal limit. These estimates are calculated on a national basis. Police force area estimates are not available.
	The estimates are published as an article 3, entitled Drinking and driving in Road Casualties Great Britain - Annual report 2007. Copies of the report have been deposited in the Library of the House and is also available at the following web address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/casualtiesgbar/roadcasualtiesgreatbritain20071
	
		
			  Screening breath tests by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 1) 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1 999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 16,000 19,700 19,200 15,800 15,400 15,100 24,500 27,300 21,900 15,800 
			 Bedfordshire 6,000 5,300 2,900 3,300 4,200 6,200 6,600 7,800 6,700 3,100 
			 Cambridgeshire 19,100 17,800 13,600 12,800 12,700 13,000 12,300 12,300 12,500 12,500 
			 Cheshire 25,500 23,300 20,500 15,800 13,600 12,200 11,900 20,200 22,000 35,700 
			 Cleveland 31,600 34,200 28,600 18,800 14,100 11,000 8,700 8,100 10,800 11,300 
			 Cumbria 11,200 9,400 7,100 6,100 5,100 4,700 5,500 8,400 13,600 13,800 
			 Derbyshire 34,500 35,700 49,200 52,000 42,100 37,900 32,600 31,000 17,700 16,000 
			 Devon and Cornwall 15,200 15,700 14,700 13,000 13,500 12,600 10,900 10,700 10,400 13,600 
			 Dorset 9,100 10,100 9,200 12,300 10,400 10,400 8,500 6,900 7,900 8,700 
			 Durham 4,300 7,400 12,700 15,300 16,300 9,500 7,600 6,100 7,700 6,900 
			 Essex 28,700 28,400 24,100 27,200 18,900 16,100 15,500 25,300 34,200 28,400 
			 Gloucestershire 9,400 9,300 8,300 8,200 9,600 9,300 8,600 7,100 9,100 10,100 
			 Greater Manchester 35,500 31,200 21,500 27,300 23,900 23,200 20,900 19,900 18,900 18,100 
			 Hampshire 25,000 27,300 31,600 35,200 35,200 35,200 37,500 38,400 38,300 34,800 
			 Hertfordshire 7,400 8,100 7,000 6,000 5,500 4,300 4,000 7,300 11,900 12,700 
			 Humberside 6,500 8,300 8,100 9,400 7,500 8,700 6,500 5,600 5,700 10,000 
			 Kent 9,100 27,500 32,700 32,200 32,200 34,200 24,600 32,000 31,200 31,700 
			 Lancashire 21,300 20,300 19,100 15,500 10,000 10,600 8,000 10,200 13,000 16,400 
			 Leicestershire 10,200 20,200 21,100 18,800 14,900 14,500 12,000 15,800 14,400 10,000 
			 Lincolnshire 20,200 25,900 21,000 12,100 13,600 9,000 12,100 11,300 11,400 10,600 
			 London, City of 3,600 3,300 1,700 1,100 1,100 1,400 1,200 700 1,100 1,600 
			 Merseyside 14,800 18,700 18,600 12,800 7,200 7,000 7,700 5,000 8,000 10,600 
			 Metropolitan Police 137,900 111,400 99,800 93,800 65,100 57,200 56,000 61,500 67,500 65,000 
			 Norfolk 9,200 12,400 11,600 9,100 9,100 5,300 4,000 4,800 10,400 7,800 
			 North Yorkshire 10,500 9,900 8,100 6,700 7,400 7,300 8,300 8,600 9,300 10,100 
			 Northamptonshire 7,100 4,700 5,300 5,800 4,500 3,300 3,100 3,200 5,200 4,300 
			 Northumbria 11,900 12,200 12,500 12,700 12,400 11,800 11,100 9,800 9,300 7,900 
			 Nottinghamshire 11,500 8,900 8,400 8,400 7,700 5,800 7,100 8,200 7,900 7,200 
			 South Yorkshire 14,200 12,600 16,100 19,200 18,000 14,400 12,100 6,500 13,700 10,300 
			 Staffordshire 13,800 15,400 10,100 7,700 4,700 5,300 5,100 13,700 14,300 12,700 
			 Suffolk 12,300 15,600 15,100 9,200 8,600 8,900 11,600 10,600 8,900 9,100 
			 Surrey 11,200 11,400 11,700 12,400 13,300 7,500 8,900 9,500 9,600 8,300 
			 Sussex 26,100 17,400 17,900 20,800 21,800 17,300 17,200 15,200 18,000 18,700 
			 Thames Valley 33,100 34,200 30,300 30,800 26,200 25,300 16,000 15,400 14,600 13,500 
			 Warwickshire 8,700 8,700 8,600 7,100 5,800 5,100 5,800 5,500 4,800 4,500 
			 West Mercia 18,300 19,100 12,300 8,900 9,100 8,200 6,300 8,000 8,800 11,300 
			 West Midlands 22,600 24,100 21,300 16,200 12,200 10,500 11,000 6,600 6,900 6,200 
			 West Yorkshire 23,300 22,900 18,800 18,300 17,200 16,700 14,200 16,900 15,400 18,000 
			 Wiltshire 7,400 7,100 6,800 6,500 5,900 5,900 5,900 7,400 7,200 8,700 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys 8,500 9,200 9,900 7,400 7,000 7,300 6,000 6,700 6,900 7,300 
			 Gwent 12,200 11,200 10,600 10,100 6,400 3,800 2,800 1,600 2,000 1,700 
			 North Wales 13,300 15,200 15,900 15,000 15,100 19,600 17,300 24,200 21,800 19,600 
			 South Wales 23,100 24,900 20,700 17,800 19,300 17,500 16,900 16,700 16,300 17,100 
			 England and Wales(2) 800,300 815,500 764,500 714,800 623,900 570,200 534,300 578,000 607,400 601,600 
			 (1) Following a comparison between the number of positive breath tests reported by each police force in 2006 and the number of court proceedings for drink-driving related offences, it became clear that there was under-reporting in a number of forces. As a result Essex, Humberside, Lancashire, Norfolk, Northumbria, Staffordshire, Dyfed-Powys, Gwent and South Wales court proceedings figures have been substituted for the positive breath test figures. Similar adjustments were also made to various forces data between 1998 and 2005. (2) Figures may not add up to total for England and Wales due to rounding.

Entry Clearances: Costs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of processing visa applications has been in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The total costs attributed to the UK's visa processing operation in each of the last five financial years was as follows:
	
		
			
			 2003-04 120,876,425 
			 2004-05 140,121,081 
			 2005-06 187,549,885 
			 2006-07 201,743,883 
			 2007-08 310,116,581

Entry Clearances: Fees and Charges

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department and its agencies have received in fees for visa applications in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The total amount received in fees for visa applications in each of the last five financial years was as follows:
	
		
			
			 2003-04 111,922,616 
			 2004-05 127,382,801 
			 2005-06 163,361,565 
			 2006-07 190,499,306 
			 2007-08 273,577,329

Entry Clearances: Fees and Charges

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department and its agencies have received in fees for unsuccessful visa applications in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency International Group does not hold accurate information to answer this question. In order to provide an answer, the amounts would have to be estimated and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The visa refusal rate is approximately 20 per cent. globally, though this is spread across the various categories of visa, with different fees attaching to each.

Freedom of Information

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much on average it has cost her Department to manage a request made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 since 2006.

Phil Woolas: The average cost of managing Freedom of Information requests is not routinely calculated by the Home Office and the information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	An assessment of the cost of Freedom of Information within Government can be found in Frontier Economics 2006 report Independent Review of the Freedom of Information Act. A copy of this report is available in the House of Commons Library.

Genetics: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 136-8W, on genetics: databases, how many and what proportion of DNA samples have been removed from the national DNA database and destroyed following a request to do so from the person from whom the DNA was taken in each month since January 2008, broken down by police authority area; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: Between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2008, 272 subject profile records were deleted from the NDNAD under the Exceptional Case Procedure (i.e. following a request to the chief officer of the responsible force from the person concerned). This covers records loaded by England and Wales forces only.
	The following tables show the number of records deleted from the NDNAD under the exceptional case procedure for each month from January 2008 to December 2008, broken down by police force area. The total number of profiles held on the NDNAD for England and Wales forces at the end of 2007 and 2008 is also shown.
	As an estimated 13.3 per cent. of profiles are replicates, the number of individuals on the NDNAD is approximately 13.3 per cent. less than the number of subject profiles. The presence of these replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database.
	
		
			  2008 
			  Force  January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 5 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 British Transport 0 0 0 0 2 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 1 1 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 1 0 3 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 0 4 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Dorset 0 1 0 0 0 2 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed Powys 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Essex 2 0 1 0 3 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 0 0 2 2 
			 Hertfordshire 0 7 0 0 0 0 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 4 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan 0 5 2 2 2 2 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 1 1 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 South Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 5 0 2 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Suffolk 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 2 0 0 1 
			 Sussex 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 2 0 0 
			 West Mercia 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 0 2 0 4 1 2 
			 West Yorkshire 1 2 0 0 1 1 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total number of profiles removed under the exceptional case procedure January to December 2008 6 31 6 16 16 26 
		
	
	
		
			  Force  July  August  September  October  November  December  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 4 5 1 1 0 16 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 British Transport 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 1 0 1 0 0 6 
			 Cumbria 0 0 2 1 1 0 6 
			 Derbyshire 1 0 1 1 1 1 9 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 
			 Dyfed Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Essex 0 2 3 0 0 0 11 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 2 0 0 3 1 6 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 
			 Hampshire 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 
			 Hertfordshire 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 2 5 4 1 12 
			 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan 2 9 3 0 2 9 38 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 
			 North Wales 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 
			 North Yorkshire 0 2 2 1 0 1 7 
			 Northamptonshire 1 0 0 0 0 2 4 
			 Northumbria 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 South Wales 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 South Yorkshire 2 4 1 22 9 4 49 
			 Staffordshire 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Surrey 0 0 1 2 1 0 7 
			 Sussex 0 2 0 0 1 0 3 
			 Thames Valley 0 1 0 1 1 0 4 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 
			 West Midlands 5 1 5 1 2 1 24 
			 West Yorkshire 0 1 1 0 2 0 9 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 
			 Total number of profiles removed under the exceptional case procedure January to December 2008 14 31 29 41 33 23 272 
			 Total number of subject profiles held on the NDNAD as at 31 December 2007   4,617,737 
			 Total number of subject profiles held on the NDNAD as at 31 December 2008   5,129,978

Immobilisation of Vehicles: Regulation

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Security Industry Authority on its feasibility study of options for the regulation of vehicle immobilisation companies operating on private property.

Alan Campbell: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1489W, to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Leech).

Internet: Standards

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to introduce a content filtering scheme for the internet.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 9 December 2008
	The Home Office and OFCOM have developed a Kitemark in partnership with BSI, which will set a standard for filtering software which is aimed at protecting children online.
	The Home Office is currently working with industry with regards to the implementation of the Kitemark. The Home Office looks forward to industry putting forward their products for testing the Kitemark.

Members: Correspondence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answers of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2253W, to questions 226398 and 226400 on entry clearances: biometrics, when she plans to write to the hon. Member for Beaconsfield.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to the hon. Member for Beaconsfield on 19 January 2009.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps the Government have taken in co-operation with its international counterparts to encourage the closure of overseas-hosted websites which contain images of child abuse.

Alan Campbell: The UK is firmly behind efforts to spread the use of blocking internationally, but that it is only one in a whole range of tactics that need to be deployed to tackle the issue of child sexual abuse where technology is a factor. There is a range of activity that either the UK leads, or is part of, across a spectrum of international political and law enforcement arenas which all work towards: the identification and safeguarding of victims of sexual abuse; locating and apprehending the perpetrators behind their abuse; and tackling those who profit from the sale or distribution of the images from that abuse.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to ensure that 100 per cent. of internet service providers demonstrate their use of filters against child pornography; what timetable she has set for achieving this objective; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: In 2006 the Government stated that they wished to see 100 per cent. of consumer broadband connections covered by blocking, which include child pornography, by the end of 2007. Currently in the UK 95 per cent. of consumer broadband connections are covered by blocking. The Government are currently looking at ways to progress the final 5 per cent.

Sex Offender Register

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals there were on the Sex Offender Register in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The number of registered sex offenders in each of the last five years is represented in the following table, as reported in the annual MAPPA reports.
	
		
			   Number or registered sex offenders 
			 2003-04 24,572 
			 2004-05 28,994 
			 2005-06 29,983 
			 2006-07 30,416 
			 2007-08 31,392 
			  Note: Figures as recorded in the National Statistics for Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements annual reports 2007-08

Speed Limits

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what devices are used by police forces to measure the speed of motor vehicles.

Alan Campbell: The enforcement of the law on speeding and the use of devices to assist such enforcement is an operational matter for the police. The Home Secretary type approves certain speed measurement devices that have satisfied rigorous scientific and operational tests to prove their accuracy and reliability.
	Evidence from such devices is then admissible in court without the need for corroboration. Information on devices that are currently type approved is given on the HO police website:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk

Speed Limits: Cameras

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and which police forces use hidden speed enforcement cameras; and how many are planning to use such cameras in the next two years.

Alan Campbell: Enforcement of the law on speeding and how speed cameras are used to assist with this is an operational matter for the police. They will decide what methods are most appropriate and effective in different circumstances to deter this dangerous and criminal behaviour and detect those who engage in it.

UK Border Agency

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the efficiency of caseworkers in the UK Border Agency in terms of numbers of cases dealt with is monitored.

Phil Woolas: As part of developing the annual business plans, performance targets and budgets are set as a joint process taking account of staff productivity. Performance and staffing are then monitored throughout the year as part of normal management reviews from team to board level.

UK Border Agency

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent caseworkers there are in the UK Border Agency.

Phil Woolas: The number of full-time equivalent caseworkers in the UK Border Agency is as follows:
	7770 full-time equivalents engaged in core casework processes. These are defined as operational staff involved in making decisions on migration, visa, asylum or criminal case applications.
	4600 full-time equivalents engaged in processes that support the decision making. These are staff undertaking tasks allied to the core casework process, for example: call centres, processing payments, registering applications, customer services, MP's correspondence, Freedom of Information Requests, enforcing decisions. These are teams that operate around registering and concluding aspects of dealing with applications.
	These figures include posts abroad in International Group, previously known as UK Visa and then part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

UK Border Agency

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual cases are with caseworkers at the UK Border Agency.

Phil Woolas: We do not routinely collect this information in this way for all cases across all workstreams, we have therefore been unable to produce the answer at present. I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy in the Library of the House.

UK Border Agency: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects a reply to be sent to the letter of 23 October 2008 to the UK Border Agency on behalf of Rizwan Aslam (Home Office Reference Number A1264393).

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency responded to the letter from my right hon. Friend on 27 January 2009.

Vetting

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken by the Criminal Records Bureau to process an application for clearance is; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: I refer the hon. Member to my written answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 317-18W.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Baby P

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families who the members were of the panel for the serious case review for the child known as Baby P.

Beverley Hughes: The membership of this serious case review panel is available on Haringey council's website.

Care Proceedings

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many applications for care proceedings have been made since 1 November 2008; and how many were made in the equivalent period 12 months earlier.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of public law care and supervision applications under section 31 of the Children Act 1989 in November and December 2008 and November and December 2007 are given in the table. Public law cases are those brought by local authorities or an authorised person (currently only the NSPCC). Figures relate to the number of children that are subject to each application, are for England and Wales, and have been rounded to the nearest 10. Please note that 2008 figures are provisional.
	Comparisons between short time periods (one or two months) as presented in the following table should be made with caution as these figures are subject to more volatility than those covering longer time periods.
	
		
			  Number of Public Law Care and Supervision applications under section 31 of the Children Act 1989England and Wales; County Courts and Family Proceedings Courts 
			   Family proceedings courts( 1)  County courts( 2)  Total 
			 November and December 2007 1.790 380 2.170 
			 November and December 2008 2,360 390 2,750 
			 (1) There have been data quality issues with figures for Family Proceedings Courts. A new method of collection was introduced in April 2007 which has improved the coverage and completeness of data. (2) Research undertaken on behalf of Ministry of Justice has identified that some cases that have transferred from the Family Proceedings Court to the County Court have been incorrectly recorded as new applications in the County Court thus inflating the reported number of new applications through double counting (see Masson et al 2008).  Source: HMCS FamilyMan and manual returns, as at January 2009

Children in Care: Foster Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in care in each local authority area have had more than  (a) three,  (b) five,  (c) 10,  (d) 20 and  (e) 30 foster placements. [Official Report, 12 February 2009, Vol. 487, c. 18MC.]

Beverley Hughes: Information showing the number of children in care in each local authority that have had more than  (a) three,  (b) five,  (c) 10,  (d) 20 and  (e) 30 foster placements in England during the year ending 31 March 2008 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of looked after children by number of foster placements( 1) , years ending 31 March 2008Coverage: England 
			  Number of placements 
			   More than 3  More than 5  More than 10  More than 20  More than 30 
			  England 4800 1400 170 30 0 
			  North East 50 40 10 0 0 
			 Darlington 15 0 0 0 0 
			 Durham 10 10 0 0 0 
			 Gateshead 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hartlepool 10 10 0 0 0 
			 Middlesbrough 5 5 0 0 0 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Tyneside 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northumberland 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Tyneside 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sunderland 10 10 10 0 0 
			   
			  North West 610 140 10 0 0 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 15 0 0 0 0 
			 Blackpool 20 5 0 0 0 
			 Bolton 40 15 0 0 0 
			 Bury 30 5 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 50 20 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Halton 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Knowsley 25 15 10 0 0 
			 Lancashire 110 10 0 0 0 
			 Liverpool 60 5 0 0 0 
			 Manchester 80 15 0 0 0 
			 Oldham  0 0 0 0 
			 Rochdale 20 0 0 0 0 
			 Salford  0 0 0 0 
			 Sefton 10 10 0 0 0 
			 St. Helens 10 0 0 0 0 
			 Stockport 10 5 0 0 0 
			 Tameside 20 10 0 0 0 
			 Trafford 20 0 0 0 0 
			 Warrington 35 5 0 0 0 
			 Wigan 10 0 0 0 0 
			 Wirral 35 15 0 0 0 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 570 220 30 0 0 
			 Barnsley 45 0 0 0 0 
			 Bradford 45 5 0 0 0 
			 Calderdale 5 5 0 0 0 
			 Doncaster 65 35 0 0 0 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 35 10 0 0 0 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 65 20 0 0 0 
			 Kirklees 30 0 0 0 0 
			 Leeds 130 80 30 0 0 
			 North East Lincolnshire 35 35 0 0 0 
			 North Lincolnshire  0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 40 5 0 0 0 
			 Rotherham 10 0 0 0 0 
			 Sheffield 15 0 0 0 0 
			 Wakefield 20 5 0 0 0 
			 York 25 15 0 0 0 
			   
			  East Midlands 310 90 0 0 0 
			 Derby 25 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 55 30 0 0 0 
			 Leicester 10 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 25 5 0 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 60 30 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 75 10 0 0 0 
			 Nottingham 20 5 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 45 5 0 0 0 
			 Rutland 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			  West Midlands 740 160 30 0 0 
			 Birmingham 180 10 0 0 0 
			 Coventry 30 0 0 0 0 
			 Dudley 35 0 0 0 0 
			 Herefordshire 5 5 0 0 0 
			 Sandwell 20 0 0 0 0 
			 Shropshire 15 10 0 0 0 
			 Solihull 20 0 0 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 125 60 30 0 0 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 35 10 0 0 0 
			 Telford and Wrekin  0 0 0 0 
			 Walsall 40 5 0 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 140 50 0 0 0 
			 Wolverhampton 35 5 0 0 0 
			 Worcestershire 55 5 0 0 0 
			   
			  East of England 460 70 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 15 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 20 5 0 0 0 
			 Essex 120 15 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 45 0 0 0 0 
			 Luton 40 5 0 0 0 
			 Norfolk 55 0 0 0 0 
			 Peterborough 45 0 0 0 0 
			 Southend-on-Sea 45 25 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 45 5 0 0 0 
			 Thurrock 25 5 0 0 0 
			   
			  London 800 270 30 0 0 
			 Inner London 350 85 20 0 0 
			 Camden 30 0 0 0 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hackney 20 0 0 0 0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham  0 0 0 0 
			 Haringey 25 5 0 0 0 
			 Islington 50 20 0 0 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 35 30 20 0 0 
			 Lambeth 35 10 0 0 0 
			 Lewisham 15 0 0 0 0 
			 Newham 70 15 0 0 0 
			 Southwark 20 0 0 0 0 
			 Tower Hamlets 25 0 0 0 0 
			 Wandsworth 15 0 0 0 0 
			 Westminster  0 0 0 0 
			   
			  Outer London 450 190 10 0 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 65 40 0 0 0 
			 Barnet 10 0 0 0 0 
			 Bexley 30 10 0 0 0 
			 Brent 60 15 0 0 0 
			 Bromley 10 0 0 0 0 
			 Croydon 30 20 0 0 0 
			 Ealing 10 0 0 0 0 
			 Enfield 20 5 0 0 0 
			 Greenwich 20 5 0 0 0 
			 Harrow  0 0 0 0 
			 Havering 45 25 0 0 0 
			 Hillingdon 40 25 0 0 0 
			 Hounslow 20 5 0 0 0 
			 Kingston upon Thames 15 15 0 0 0 
			 Merton  0 0 0 0 
			 Redbridge 10 5 0 0 0 
			 Richmond upon Thames 10 5 0 0 0 
			 Sutton 30 15 15 0 0 
			 Waltham Forest 20 0 0 0 0 
			  South East 790 270 30 0 0 
			 Bracknell Forest  0 0 0 0 
			 Brighton and Hove 55 20 0 0 0 
			 Buckinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 East Sussex 45 10 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 205 90 15 0 0 
			 Isle of Wight 25 5 0 0 0 
			 Kent 185 70 15 0 0 
			 Medway Towns 30 0 0 0 0 
			 Milton Keynes 50 30 0 0 0 
			 Oxfordshire 15 10 0 0 0 
			 Portsmouth 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Reading 25 0 0 0 0 
			 Slough 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Southampton 45 30 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 30 0 0 0 0 
			 West Berkshire  0 0 0 0 
			 West Sussex 45 5 0 0 0 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead  0 0 0 0 
			 Wokingham 15 0 0 0 0 
			   
			  South West 510 170 30 30 0 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 15 0 0 0 0 
			 Bournemouth  0 0 0 0 
			 Bristol, City of 85 35 0 0 0 
			 Cornwall 60 30 25 25 0 
			 Devon 25 5 0 0 0 
			 Dorset 25 5 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 50 5 0 0 0 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Somerset 35 15 0 0 0 
			 Plymouth 60 20 0 0 0 
			 Poole 10 5 0 0 0 
			 Somerset 30 10 0 0 0 
			 South Gloucestershire 20 0 0 0 0 
			 Swindon 15 0 0 0 0 
			 Torbay 50 30 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire 25 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of shortterm placements.  Source: SSDA903

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many childcare settings have closed in each quarter of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 20 January 2009
	The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of child care providers that have opened and closed( 1) : position as at each quarterEngland 
			   2003/04  2004/05 
			   Childminders  Full day care  Out of school day care( 2)  Childminders  Full day care  Out of school day care( 2) 
			   Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			  April to June 
			 Opened 4,300 6.3 500 5.2 500 6.0 3,300 4.5 800 7.5 600 6.2 
			 Closed 2,500 3.6 200 2.0 200 2.7 3,000 4.1 300 2.9 400 4.3 
			  
			  July to September 
			 Opened 4,000 5.7 700 7.1 800 9.7 3,600 5.0 900 7.5 900 10.1 
			 Closed 3,800 5.5 300 2.7 400 4.5 4,400 6.1 500 4.7 600 6.6 
			  
			  October to December 
			 Opened 4,000 5.7 500 4.9 500 6.0 3,000 4.1 600 4.7 500 5.6 
			 Closed 2,200 3.1 200 2.1 200 2.0 3,800 5.3 500 3.9 600 6.0 
			  
			  January to March 
			 Opened 4,000 5.5 800 7.4 600 6.4 3,200 4.6 600 4.8 600 6.0 
			 Closed 3,600 5.0 400 3.7 400 4.8 4,000 5.7 400 3.6 600 6.1 
			  
			  Total 
			 Opened 16,300 22.5 2,500 22.6 2,400 25.9 13,100 18.6 2,800 23.3 2,600 27.3 
			 Closed 12,100 16.7 1,100 9.7 1,200 13.0 15,300 21.8 1,800 14.5 2,200 22.6 
		
	
	
		
			   2005/06  2006/07 
			   Childminders  Full day care  Out of school day care( 2)  Childminders  Full day care  Out of school day care( 2) 
			   Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			  April to June 
			 Opened 3,200 4.7 500 4.4 500 5.3 2,700 3.8 500 3.9 500 4.5 
			 Closed 2,500 3.6 300 1.7 300 2.5 2,700 3.8 300 2.4 400 4.0 
			  
			  July to September 
			 Opened 3,100 4.4 700 5.3 800 7.8 3,100 4.3 700 5.1 700 6.5 
			 Closed 3,000 3.8 400 3.6 500 5.2 3,400 4.8 400 3.0 600 5.3 
			  
			  October to December 
			 Opened 2,700 3.8 500 4.1 500 4.5 3,000 4.2 500 4.0 500 4.6 
			 Closed 2,300 3.2 300 2.3 300 3.3 2,700 3.8 400 2.7 400 4.1 
			  
			  January to March 
			 Opened 2,900 4.0 600 4.6 500 5.2 2,500 3.5 500 3.3 400 4.0 
			 Closed 2,800 3.8 300 2.6 400 3.7 4,100 5.7 400 3.0 600 5.2 
			  
			  Total 
			 Opened 11,900 16.6 2,300 17.3 2,300 21.6 11,200 16.1 2,200 15.9 2,100 19.7 
			 Closed 10,500 14.7 1,300 10.1 1,500 14.6 12,900 18.5 1,500 10.8 2,000 18.7 
		
	
	
		
			   2007/08 
			   Childminders  Full day care  Out of school day care( 2) 
			   Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			  April to June   
			 Opened 2,400 3.4 400 3.3 500 4.6 
			 Closed 4,000 5.7 400 2.7 400 4.2 
			
			  July to September   
			 Opened 2,700 4.0 600 4.5 700 6.1 
			 Closed 3,600 5.3 500 3.3 500 4.7 
			
			  October to December   
			 Opened 2,100 3.1 500 3.7 400 4.1 
			 Closed 3,700 5.6 400 3.2 500 4.7 
			
			  January to March   
			 Opened 2,200 3.3 600 3.9 400 4.2 
			 Closed 3,300 5.0 400 2.9 500 4.5 
			
			  Total   
			 Opened 9,300 14.5 2,100 15.0 2,000 19.0 
			 Closed 14,600 22.6 1,700 11.8 1,900 18.1 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100 if over 100. (2) Out of school day care figures may not include services in extended schools as Ofsted data only include providers that have to register separately.  Source: Ofsted

Children: Day Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the oral answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 10-11, on child abuse, what steps his Department is taking to encourage parents and others who provide childcare to use non-physical means of modifying a child's behaviour.

Beverley Hughes: Our approach is to provide parents with positive support and guidance to help them manage their children's behaviour more effectively. This includes making parenting classes more widely available to help give parents the confidence to use other, better means of disciplining their children than physical punishment. This approach works with parents and not against them. We are pleased that parents' attitudes towards smacking have been changing over time; this was the finding of the parental survey conducted in 2007 as part of the review of section 58 of the Children Act 2004.
	Physical punishment is banned in schools and in registered childcare settings, including daycare and childminding. It is also banned in children's homes and local authority foster care.

Children: Internet

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to encourage internet service providers to practise greater self-regulation in the area of pro-anorexia or pro-bulimia websites;
	(2)  what recent steps his Department has taken to promote awareness among parents of the dangers of pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia websites;
	(3)  what recent meetings his Department has had with internet service providers regarding websites which are pro-anorexia or pro-bulimia.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 12 January 2009
	We take the issue of safety on the internet very seriously. That is why we asked Dr. Tanya Byron to lead an independent review on potential risks online and in video gamesand we have fully accepted all her recommendations, including those on the needs for vulnerable groups. These include:
	encouraging content hosts and search providers work with the relevant charities to make sure that advertisements with links to support services are displayed whenever users discuss or search for information about harmful behaviours;
	encouraging content hosts to work with charities to improve moderation practices around discussions about harmful behaviours; and
	targeted communications to raise awareness of internet content issues amongst those who work with vulnerable children and young people.
	The UK Council for Child Internet Safety, a multi stakeholder forum, was launched in September 2008 to implement the Byron recommendations. Its work will lead to the publication of a Child Internet Safety Strategy later this year that will contain specific measures to make the internet a safer place.
	We are also working with the Department of Health to implement the recommendations of the report of the independent review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, 'Children and Young People in Mind', published on 18 November. We have set up a National Advisory Council for children's mental health and psychological wellbeing to advise us on implementing the recommendations of the independent review of CAMHS final report and hold us to account on progress. Better access to specialist services for children, young people and families is a priority area for the implementation of the CAMHS review's recommendations.
	In addition, the Department of Health announced in October 2008 a 170 million expansion of psychological therapies to provide better support for people with common mental health problems such as eating disorders.

Children's Centres

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the viability of children's centres in circumstances where local authorities comply with guidance issued by his Department that such centres become financially self-sustaining by 2011.

Beverley Hughes: There is no requirement that Sure Start Children's Centres become self-sustaining by 2011. Integrated early learning and day care, which is a key part of the offer in children's centres in the most disadvantaged areas and optional elsewhere, is the only service which is intended to become self-sustaining. The Department's Phase 3 Sure Start Children's Centres planning and delivery guidance states that this is to run on business lines once it is established. Local authorities are accountable, through their sufficiency duties, to ensure there is appropriate provision to meet local needs.

Education: Per Capita Costs

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school per pupil funding is in each local authority area in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The per pupil revenue funding figures for each local authority for 2008-09 are shown in the following table. Since 2006-07, the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is the main source of school funding. As the DSG is distributed through a single guaranteed unit of funding per pupil and is distributed from central government to local government, a primary/secondary split on a central to local government basis is not available. The following figures are for all funded pupils aged three-19 and are provided in cash terms:
	
		
			  2008-09 DSG plus grants per pupil 
			
			 England 4,690 
			 Barking and Dagenham 5,270 
			 Barnet 5,200 
			 Barnsley 4,480 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 4,430 
			 Bedfordshire 4,410 
			 Bexley 4,730 
			 Birmingham 5,240 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 5,040 
			 Blackpool 4,620 
			 Bolton 4,600 
			 Bournemouth 4,300 
			 Bracknell Forest 4,500 
			 Bradford 4,870 
			 Brent 5,700 
			 Brighton and Hove 4,660 
			 Bristol, City of 5,050 
			 Bromley 4,590 
			 Buckinghamshire 4,510 
			 Bury 4,430 
			 Calderdale 4,570 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,280 
			 Camden 6,910 
			 Cheshire 4,430 
			 Cornwall 4,340 
			 Coventry 4,790 
			 Croydon 4,910 
			 Cumbria 4,430 
			 Darlington 4,550 
			 Derby 4,660 
			 Derbyshire 4,450 
			 Devon 4,280 
			 Doncaster 4,630 
			 Dorset 4,350 
			 Dudley 4,510 
			 Durham 4,730 
			 Ealing 5,620 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 4,270 
			 East Sussex 4,560 
			 Enfield 5,100 
			 Essex 4,450 
			 Gateshead 4,740 
			 Gloucestershire 4,370 
			 Greenwich 6,260 
			 Hackney 7,250 
			 Halton 4,960 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6,490 
			 Hampshire 4,320 
			 Haringey 5,940 
			 Harrow 5,170 
			 Hartlepool 4,830 
			 Havering 4,670 
			 Herefordshire 4,320 
			 Hertfordshire 4,500 
			 Hillingdon 4,990 
			 Hounslow 5,380 
			 Isle of Wight 4,660 
			 Islington 6,660 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 6,530 
			 Kent 4,520 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 4,870 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4,850 
			 Kirklees 4,650 
			 Knowsley 5,080 
			 Lambeth 6,780 
			 Lancashire 4,520 
			 Leeds 4,620 
			 Leicester 4,860 
			 Leicestershire 4,150 
			 Lewisham 6,330 
			 Lincolnshire 4,410 
			 Liverpool 5,140 
			 Luton 4,960 
			 Manchester 5,440 
			 Medway 4,600 
			 Merton 5,010 
			 Middlesbrough 4,960 
			 Milton Keynes 4,710 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,840 
			 Newham 5,970 
			 Norfolk 4,410 
			 North East Lincolnshire 4,850 
			 North Lincolnshire 4,420 
			 North Somerset 4,310 
			 North Tyneside 4,520 
			 North Yorkshire 4,440 
			 Northamptonshire 4,360 
			 Northumberland 4,400 
			 Nottingham 5,330 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,390 
			 Oldham 4,820 
			 Oxfordshire 4,410 
			 Peterborough 4,790 
			 Plymouth 4,540 
			 Poole 4,250 
			 Portsmouth 4,650 
			 Reading 4,870 
			 Redbridge 4,820 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 4,750 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,750 
			 Rochdale 4,900 
			 Rotherham 4,730 
			 Rutland 4,400 
			 Salford 5,050 
			 Sandwell 4,890 
			 Sefton 4,590 
			 Sheffield 4,650 
			 Shropshire 4,240 
			 Slough 5,130 
			 Solihull 4,270 
			 Somerset 4,350 
			 South Gloucestershire 4,150 
			 South Tyneside 4,910 
			 Southampton 4,750 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4,620 
			 Southwark 6,650 
			 St. Helens 4,640 
			 Staffordshire 4,290 
			 Stockport 4,410 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 4,620 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 4,800 
			 Suffolk 4,320 
			 Sunderland 4,680 
			 Surrey 4,450 
			 Sutton 4,810 
			 Swindon 4,310 
			 Tameside 4,560 
			 Telford and Wrekin 4,510 
			 Thurrock 4,700 
			 Torbay 4,460 
			 Tower Hamlets 7,350 
			 Trafford 4,400 
			 Wakefield 4,550 
			 Walsall 4,700 
			 Waltham Forest 5,330 
			 Wandsworth 5,980 
			 Warrington 4,320 
			 Warwickshire 4,320 
			 West Berkshire 4,570 
			 West Sussex 4,370 
			 Westminster 6,260 
			 Wigan 4,510 
			 Wiltshire 4,250 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4,630 
			 Wirral 4,630 
			 Wokingham 4,360 
			 Wolverhampton 4,940 
			 Worcestershire 4,300 
			 York 4,360 
			  Notes: 1. Price base: Cash 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10

English Language: Pre-School Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the standard of English spoken by staff in childcare settings.

Beverley Hughes: No recent assessment has been made. The framework for the early years foundation Stage (EYFS) introduced in September 2008 requires staff to have the right language skills to support children from birth to five to develop communication skills in English and to help ensure that their welfare needs are protected. The requirements for providers working with older children set proportions for the number of staff required to hold level 2 and 3 qualifications in an area of work relevant to child care (and the common core skills for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register). As part of the requirements candidates need to demonstrate competence in English. Ofsted inspects providers against these requirements. The requirements on settings are designed to help ensure effective standards of communication in settings and to enable parents to choose providers who also speak their home language.

GCE A-level: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of free school meals pupils were entered for A-levels in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The available information on pupils entered for GCE/VCE A/AS-level identified by eligibility for free school meals is contained within table 13 in the Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2007/08 SFR published in November 2008.
	This shows that the number of pupils aged 16-18 in maintained schools who were entered for GCE/VCE A/AS-levels in 2008 was 147,394. Of these, 5,049 pupils were eligible for free school meals, a proportion of 3.4 per cent. A further 0.6 per cent. were unclassified.
	These figures do not cover pupils in sixth form colleges.

GCSE: Disadvantaged

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families at how many maintained, mainstream schools  (a) 75 per cent. or more and  (b) 90 per cent. or more of pupils eligible to receive free school meals did not attain any GCSE grades higher than a D in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: In 35 maintained mainstream schools 75 per cent. or more of the pupils eligible to receive free school meals did not attain any GCSE and equivalents grades higher than a D in 2006/07.
	In three schools 90 per cent. or more of the pupils eligible to receive free school meals did not attain any GCSE and equivalents grades higher than a D in 2006/07.
	Of the 76,568 pupils eligible for FSM attending maintained secondary schools who took any GCSE and equivalents in 2006/07, 30,881 (40.3 per cent.) achieved the equivalent of at least one pass at grade D.
	These figures relate to GCSE and equivalent and based on pupils at the end of KS4 in all maintained schools.
	Only schools with 10 or more pupils are included in the answer.

Information and Communications Technology

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made towards the targets for e-inclusion set by the Riga Ministerial Declaration in June 2006.

Paul Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
	The Riga Declaration set the target that, to convincingly address e-Inclusion, the differences in Internet usage between current average use by the EU population and use by older people, people with disabilities, women, lower education groups, unemployed and less-developed regions should be reduced to a half from 2005 to 2010.
	The European Commission is monitoring progress against the targets for all EU member states, publishing the first baseline analysis based on 2006 data 'Measuring progress in e-lnclusionRiga Dashboard' in 2007 which can be found on the internet at
	http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/einclusion/docs/i2010_initiative/rigadashboard.doc
	Member states are due to make their first progress report to the European Commissions High Level adhoc e-Inclusion Group by summer 2009.
	The following table from recently published independent UK research as a proxy suggests progress in the UK on inclusion as follows:
	
		
			  Proxy data based in Oxford Internet Institute surveys 
			  Percentage 
			  Some of the Riga Target Groups  Regular internet use 2005  Regular internet use 2007 
			 Average use - Population 60 67 
			 aged 55-64 53 58 
			 aged 65-74 31 37 
			 Women 57 65 
			 Rural 60 66 
			 Unemployed 46 48 
			 Inactive (retired) 30 31

Languages: Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers with a language specialism in Mandarin Chinese qualified in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Data relating to the language specialisms of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) trainees are not collected centrally.
	In 2006/07 there were three postgraduate ITT trainees who had an undergraduate degree in Chinese Studies.
	There are currently no ITT courses which specialise in Mandarin only.

Nurseries: Vacancies

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many full-time vacancies there were in local authority maintained nurseries in each year since 1997; and what the rate of such full-time vacancies was in each of those years.

Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers survey collects information on the number of childcare places in maintained nursery schools in England. The following data in table 1 are from the 2007 and 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers surveys. The information is not available for years preceding 2006. Table 1 shows the number and proportion of vacancies of childcare places in nursery schools in 2007 and 2006.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of vacancies in nursery schools 
			   Nursery schools 
			   Total number of places  Number of vacancies  Proportion of vacancies (percentage) 
			 2007 28,400 1,400 5 
			 2006 28,100 2,000 7

Offences Against Children: Databases

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many notifications to List 99 there were in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 26 January 2009
	The number of notifications to List 99 in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Notifications 
			 2004 1,362 
			 2005 2,092 
			 2006 2,784 
			 2007 4,265 
			 2008 8,728 
		
	
	When employers in the education sector have ceased to use the services of a person because they consider that person is unsuitable to work with children, or they would have ceased to use the person's services where the person has left their employment, they are required to refer information to the Department. The police also refer to the Department cautions and convictions for those who have been working in educational establishments in accordance with Home Office Circular 6/2006 (The Notifiable Occupations Scheme).
	In addition, regulations which came into force on 28 February 2007 extended the range of offences which result in automatic inclusion on List 99. These amended regulations include cautions as well as convictions for sexual offences against children and other very serious offences against adults, regardless of whether the individuals concerned have ever been in employment in the education and children's work force. The Department is notified of relevant offences by the police. The vast majority of the increase in the total number of notifications is as a result of the implementation of these regulations.

Pupil Exclusions: Primary Education

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children between the ages of four and 11 years were  (a) suspended and  (b) suspended more than once from school in (i) West Chelmsford constituency, (ii) Essex and (iii) England in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 22 January2009
	Information on fixed period exclusions was collected for the first time in the school year 2003/04. However these data are not sufficiently reliable to provide the requested information.
	In 2005-06 the method of data collection changed and information was collected from secondary schools only. We have consequently provided information for the school years 2004/05 and 2006/07, the only years for which comparable figures are available.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2, 3, ) pupils aged four to 11 receiving fixed period exclusions( 4)  2006/07 
			   Number of pupils with one episode of fixed period exclusion  As a percentage of the school population( 5)  Number of pupils with two or more episodes of fixed period exclusion  As a percentage of the school population( 6) 
			 West Chelmsford 50 0.57 50 0.48 
			 Essex 820 0.68 560 0.47 
			 England 29,410 0.66 18,690 0.42 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes CTCs and academies. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (4) Pupils aged as at 31 August 2006. (5) The number of pupils with a fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the headcount of pupils in January 2007, excluding dual registrations. (6) The number of pupils with two or more fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the headcount of pupils in January 2007, excluding dual registrations.  Source: School census 
		
	
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2 ) pupils aged four to 11 receiving fixed period exclusions( 3 ) 2004/05 
			   Number of pupils with one episode of fixed period exclusion  As a percentage of the school population( 4)  Number of pupils with two or more episodes of fixed period exclusion  As a percentage of the school population( 5) 
			 West Chelmsford 44 0.52 32 0.38 
			 Essex 846 0.77 502 0.46 
			 England 29,815 0.74 17,875 0.44 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes maintained primary, secondary and special schools. (3) Pupils aged as at 31 August 2004. (4) The number of pupils with a fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the headcount of pupils in January 2005, excluding dual registrations. (5) The number of pupils with two or more fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the headcount of pupils in January 2005, excluding dual registrations.  Source: Termly Exclusions survey

Schools: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what national challenge schools are in or near the principal seaside towns of England.

Jim Knight: A list of such schools below 30 per cent. 5 A*-C including English and maths (and therefore within the National Challenge) is provided as follows. There are 39 such schools in or near the principal seaside towns of England. In addition, we are working with local authorities to provide support for some schools which are above the floor target in order to secure or consolidate their performance.
	
		
			  LA  Town  School name  Percentage 5+A*-C including English and mathematics 
			 North Somerset Weston-super-mare Wyvern Community School 23 
			 North Yorkshire Scarborough George Pindar Community Sports College 28 
			 Dorset Greater Bournemouth The Grange School 26 
			 Poole Poole Rossmore Community College 13 
			 Poole Poole Ashdown Technology College 27 
			 Bournemouth Greater Bournemouth Kings High School 24 
			 Bournemouth Greater Bournemouth Oakmead College of Technology 28 
			 East Sussex Hastings Hillcrest School 16 
			 East Sussex Hastings The Grove 12 
			 East Sussex Eastbourne Eastbourne Technology College 23 
			 East Sussex Hastings William Parker Sports College 25 
			 Brighton and Hove Greater Brighton Falmer High School 19 
			 Brighton and Hove Greater Brighton Portslade Community College 29 
			 Brighton and Hove Greater Brighton Patcham High School 28 
			 Torbay Torbay Torquay Community College 21 
			 Torbay Torbay Paignton Community and Sports College 29 
			 Essex Clacton-on-Sea Colbayns High School 29 
			 Essex Clacton-on-Sea Bishop's Park 8 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Chase High School 18 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Futures College 25 
			 Kent Whitstable/Herne Bay The Community College Whitstable 17 
			 Kent Whitstable/Herne Bay King Ethelbert School 14 
			 Kent Thanet Ellington School for Girls 28 
			 Kent Thanet The Hereson School 23 
			 Kent Thanet Hartsdown Technology College 20 
			 Kent Thanet St. George's Church of England Foundation School 21 
			 Kent Folkestone/Hythe Pent Valley School 27 
			 Kent Folkestone/Hythe Brockhill Park Performing Arts College 27 
			 Kent Thanet The Marlowe Academy 13 
			 Kent Folkestone/Hythe Folkestone Academy 14 
			 Lancashire Greater Blackpool Fleetwood Sports College 23 
			 Blackpool Greater Blackpool Bispham High Schoolan Arts College 29 
			 Blackpool Greater Blackpool Beacon Hill High School Business and Enterprise College 18 
			 Blackpool Greater Blackpool Palatine Community Sports College 24 
			 Blackpool Greater Blackpool St. George's School A Church of England Business and Enterprise College 20 
			 Lincolnshire Skegness St. Clements College 17 
			 Norfolk Great Yarmouth Oriel Specialist Mathematics and Computing College 21 
			 Suffolk Lowestoft Kirkley Community High School 26 
			 West Sussex Greater Worthing Littlehampton Community School,The 29 
			  Note: The 37 'principal seaside towns' listed by Communities and Local Government are Greater Bournemouth, Greater Brighton, Greater Blackpool, Greater Worthing, Southend-on-sea, Isle of Wight, Torbay, Hastings/Bexhill, Thanet, Eastbourne, Southport, Weston-super-Mare, Whitstable/Herne Bay, Lowestoft, Folkestone/Hythe, Great Yarmouth, Clacton, Scarborough, Weymouth, Morecombe/Heysham, Bognor Regis, Bridlington, Whitley Bay, Exmouth, Dawlish/Teignmouth, Deal, Newquay, Penzance, Falmouth, Skegness, Burnham-on-Sea, Sidmouth, Whitby, Minehead, llfacombe, St. Ives and Swanage.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained special schools there were in each local authority in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils with special educational needs were given a fixed-period exclusion from a pupil referral unit in the last year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on exclusions from pupil referral units is no longer collected.

Special Educational Needs: Tribunals

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the provision of information to parents about changes to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal system.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Officials at the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Tribunals Service at the Ministry of Justice have had discussions throughout the process of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) becoming part of the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal. On 8 December 2008 the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families held a meeting with the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) and a parents' group at which an official from the Tribunals Service/Ministry of Justice was present. The Department, through the Children, Young People and Families Grant programme, is funding the Independent Panel for Special Education Advice over 2009-10 and 2010-11 to expand the availability of its advice to parents, including advice on the new tribunal system.

Young People: Unemployment

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans his Department has to prevent 17 to 19-year-olds becoming unemployed during the current economic downturn.

Jim Knight: The current economic situation means that it is imperative to ensure young people gain the skills and qualifications they need to succeed in employment.
	Local Connexions services have a key role in supporting all young people aged 13-19. They rigorously track young people's activities so that they can provide targeted support to those young people who are in danger of becoming unemployed and those not currently in education, employment or training. They also provide tailored information, advice and guidance, supporting these young people to reengage in learning or work as early as possible.
	In 2008, we extended the September Guarantee to 17-year-olds for the first time. The guarantee aims to provide all 17-year-olds with a suitable offer of a place in learning by the end of September. Almost 80 per cent. of those young people who had been engaged on a short course, or who were NEET, received an offer under the guarantee last year. The guarantee will help to ensure that all young people aged 17 have a suitable learning place by the end of September and prevent them from becoming unemployed.
	Funding for apprenticeships across all ages is planned to increase by almost a quarter between 2007-08 and 2010-11, to over 1.1 billion. In addition we have recently announced our intention to invest an extra 140 million to deliver an additional 35,000 apprentices in both the public and private sectors in order to strengthen the country's competitiveness and match young people's demand. We have also introduced a number of flexibilities to help apprentices who face redundancy. As part of this work apprentices who are made redundant within the final six months of their apprenticeship will now be able to finish their training and gain a qualification.
	We have been working closely with colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the level of support available to 18-year-olds who are unemployed. From April 2009, 18-year-old jobseekers who have spent a 26 week period NEET will receive mandatory early entry to intensive jobsearch support to enable them to enter sustainable employment faster. This system has been in place on a voluntary basis since April 2008.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agricultural Waste Licences

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the charging of fees for agricultural waste licences; and what the evidential basis for that policy is.

Jane Kennedy: In England and Wales, the recovery or disposal of agricultural waste does not generally require an environmental permit but benefits from one of a number of exemptions. Farmers have to register the exemptions with the Environment Agency. At present there is no charge for this.
	DEFRA is currently undertaking a review of all permit exemptions, including those that apply to agricultural waste, and in the consultation document on that review it is proposed to introduce a charge for the registration of exemptions of 50 every three years. The Department is currently considering the responses to the consultation, on this point and others, and no decisions have yet been reached.
	Where permits are required, they are subject to application fees and annual charges set out within a scheme that is consulted upon annually by the Environment Agency and approved by the Secretary of State. Fees and charges seek to recover the costs of regulation in accordance with the polluter pays principle and Treasury rules.

Animal Welfare

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to establish an arm's length body responsible for animal health; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The establishment of a new independent arm's length body responsible for animal health is being considered as part of the wider responsibility and cost sharing agenda for animal health. We plan to consult on specific proposals for implementing responsibility and cost sharing for animal health shortly.

Animal Welfare: Codes of Practice

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the responses to the consultation on codes of practice for the welfare of  (a) dogs and  (b) cats; and when he expects to publish his conclusions on the consultation.

Jane Kennedy: The responses to the consultation on the codes of practice for the welfare of cats and dogs have enabled my Department to make a number of changes to the codes which I consider will make them more useful to owners and keepers.
	All of the responses together with accompanying analyses will be made available to the public shortly.

Bees

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of circadian disruption on bee populations in England.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 29 January 2009
	DEFRA has not made any assessment of the effects of circadian disruption on bee populations in England.

Birds: Nature Conservation

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take during the 2009 breeding season to monitor the effects on wild birds of the recent changes to Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Statutory Nature Conservation Agencies support a range of bird surveillance and monitoring schemes in the United Kingdom, usually in partnership with specialist non-government organisations. Surveillance schemes may include annual or periodic assessment of population size and distribution, and allow trends in both to be derived. Schemes are tailored to provide comprehensive coverage of common and rare species in both breeding and non-breeding seasons.
	In addition to the monitoring of wild birds, Animal Health's Wildlife and Registration Service, which is the regulatory authority for bird registration, has a compliance monitoring plan in place to reduce the potential for criminality relating to the bird registration scheme. The Animal Health team work closely with the National Wildlife Unit and other UK Law Enforcement Agencies and have a jointly agreed set of national priorities which they work to. Any future change in priorities with regard to bird of prey issues, including taking from the wild and persecution, would be considered and work aligned to this. This will enable more consistency and coordination between Animal Health and enforcement agencies.

Bluetongue Disease: Vaccination

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of vaccinations against bluetongue disease among  (a) sheep and  (b) cattle.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 January 2009
	Responsibility for licensing veterinary medicines in the UK, including Bluetongue vaccine, rests with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). In licensing a product, the VMD assesses data on safety, quality and efficacy on all species for which the vaccine is intended (in this case cattle and sheep), and establishes whether the advantages and efficacy of the product outweigh any risks in deciding whether to issue a Marketing Authorisation. Once a product has been marketed the VMD monitors its safety and efficacy through reports of suspected adverse reactions, and through on-going data requirements from the authorisation holder.
	Sales data from the supply chain suggest enough vaccine was sold in 2008 in the South and East of England, where Bluetongue serotype 8 was circulating in 2007, to vaccinate over 90 per cent. of the susceptible animal population. Experts at the Institute for Animal Health advise that this level of vaccination in previously affected counties was effective in controlling BTV-8 and its possible spread to the rest, of the country. No circulating disease was detected in 2008.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the effects of bovine tuberculosis on  (a) monetary value and  (b) tonnage of meat exports from England in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The Government have made no estimate of the effects of Bovine TB (bTB) on monetary value or meat exports from England.
	The risk of contracting bTB from eating meat is very small. M. bovis, the bacterium that causes bTB, is killed by cooking meat properly. Additionally, the Meat Hygiene Service inspects carcasses and their associated offal at slaughter; those with signs of generalised infection are fully condemned and declared unfit for human consumption.

Carbon Emissions

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which international agreements to monitor and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from underground fires and forest fires the UK is party.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	Anthropogenic emissions are covered under the current provisions of the United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto protocol. Emissions from forest fires on managed land are estimated in accordance with intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) guidelines and the IPCC good practice guidelines. No agreed international methodologies exist for peat fires and underground coal seams and as a consequence, any emissions from these sources may not be reported by countries.

Civil Proceedings

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1594W, on civil proceedings, how many of the proceedings naming his Department as a defending party which are currently  (a) under appeal and  (b) ongoing or unresolved relate to the review of a Ministerial decision; and what the (i) title of claim, (ii) grounds for claim and (iii) value of claim is in each such case.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The number of such cases under appeal and ongoing or unresolved that relate to the political review of a ministerial decision is 25. These are:
	R (on the application of Partridge Farms Limited)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in which the judgment of the High Court on 14 July 2008 is being appealed by the Secretary of State to the Court of Appeal. The claimant's ground of challenge is that the Cattle Compensation (England) Order 2006 is in breach of the EC law principle of equality of treatment. The claim is for a judicial review and damages are not sought.
	There are 21 cases involving a similar challenge that have been stayed pending the determination of the appeal in Partridge Farms Limited. The claims are for judicial review and damages are not sought. The titles of the claims are:
	R (On the application of CMJ and PL Hurd T/A Heywood and Hurd)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Edward, John and James Seaton T/A Seatons Farms)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Peter Eardley)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Longden Manor Farms)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Shaniel Farms Ltd, Mr. D Williams and Mr. A Baird  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of JA and EG Yewdall and Son)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of MD McMillan)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of DC Dennis and Sons)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of RJ Down and Mrs. CA Down)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of J and P Prideaux)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Walter Maidment Limited)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of DC Dennis and Sons)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of RD and Mrs. JL Youngman T/A Coleford Farming Company)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Higher Burrow Organic Farming Partnership )  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Mr. RK Siddorn T/A AJH and RK Siddorn)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of WGA Hunkin and Son)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Patrick George Saunders and Miles T/A PG Saunders)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of EJ and WJ Griggs and Sons)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Robert, Thomas, Elizabeth, Julie and Wendy Pocock T/A T E Pocock and Co.)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of Ivor, Doreen, Martyn, Linda and Mark Hussell T/A Messrs. Hussell)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	R (On the application of JWR and Hiscock T/A Springwood Farms Ltd)  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Friends of the Earth and Help the Aged  v. Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in which the judgments of the High Court on 6 and 23 October 2008 are being appealed by the claimants to the Court of Appeal. The claimants' ground of challenge is that the Government are not complying with the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 in respect of fuel poverty. The claim is for judicial review and damages are not sought.
	Georgina Downs  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in which the judgment of the High Court on 14 November 2008 is being appealed by the Secretary of State to the Court of Appeal. The claimant's ground of challenge is that the obligations of EC Directive (91/414/EEC) were not complied with in that the UK regime does not provide for the necessary protection for the health of those who live near crop spraying operations. The claim is for judicial review and damages are not sought.
	Richard Currell  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and another, an application for permission for judicial review of a decision by the Secretary of State to uphold on appeal stop notices issued by Natural England under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) No. 2 Regulations 2006 in respect of the use of land. The claim is for judicial review and damages are not sought.

Departmental Consultants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of his Department's contracts with management consultants was in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: From information held centrally, the core Department's expenditure on professional and consultancy services for the financial years 2003-04 to 2007-08 is as follows.
	
		
			   Management and Business Consultancy Expenditure  ( million) 
			 2003-04 20 
			 2004-05 79 
			 2005-06 44 
			 2006-08 29 
			 2007-08 17

Departmental Legal Costs

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what costs were incurred by his Department in  (a) legal fees,  (b) court costs and  (c) expert witness fees in the defence of the claim by Ruttle Plant Hire Limited up to the judgment of 29 September 2004.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested is  (a) 1,131,179.55,  (b) 175,  (c) 11,241.89 respectively.

Departmental Legal Proceedings

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the monetary value was of each settlement his Department made as a result of legal proceedings naming his Department as a defending party where no legal proceedings are ongoing in  (a) each of the last five years and  (b) 2008 to date; and what the title of each such case is.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The monetary value of each settlement made in 2008 as a result of legal proceedings naming the Department/Secretary of State as a defending party where no legal proceedings are ongoing, and the title of each such case, is as follows:
	Brian John Lodey  v. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 63,000.
	Terence Bodden  v. Dodsworths (York) Ltd. and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 120,000.
	Antler Homes South East Ltd.  v. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (and two interested parties), 6,000 (costs only).
	R V W Pugh Ltd.  v. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. By agreement between the parties, the terms of the settlement are confidential.
	For each of the five years before 2008, the resources needed to obtain the information would be disproportionate and over the 750 threshold.

Departmental Marketing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The following figures show how much DEFRA has spent through COI on campaign advertising in the last 12 months.
	 ACT ON CO 2 advertising
	From January 2008 - March 2008 the ACT ON CO2 spend was approximately 685,000 (press and online advertising).
	From April 2008 to December 2008 the ACT ON CO2 spend was approximately 6,700,000 (TV, press, radio and digital advertising).
	 Other DEFRA advertising
	Spend on non-ACT ON CO2 advertising over the last 12 months comes to
	137,100:
	Cattle disposal: 9,000
	Ecolabelling: 8,100
	Reach: 120,000.
	Advertisements placed via the DEFRA Recruitment and Statutory Advertising Contract for the period January 2008 to December 2009:
	Recruitment advertising: 381,019.29
	Statutory advertising: 70,851.76.
	All figures include fees and are exclusive of VAT.
	As a number of DEFRA's recruitment adverts are placed through the Cabinet Office framework as part of a whole advertising campaign (campaigns can include the preparation of application packs, advertisements, sifting and assessments) it is not possible to split out the advertising element at a proportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to his Department of validation of invoices was by  (a) (i) Mr. De Kock and (ii) Davis Langdon Everest before the Invoicing Panel was established and  (b) the Invoicing Panel.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what costs were incurred by his Department in the validation of invoices submitted by Ruttle Plant Hire Limited relating to the foot and mouth outbreak before the formation of the Invoicing Panel in September 2001.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Surveys

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department's central media and communication unit spent on public surveys in each of the last three years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Estimated total expenditure for financial years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 for public surveys (qualitative and quantitative research) commissioned by the Communications Directorate in DEFRA is as follows:
	
		
			
			 2005-06 299,152.90 
			 2006-07 592,310.00 
			 2007-08 275,620.00 
			 Total for the period 1,167,082.90 
			  Note: Costs exclude COI management fees and VAT.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department has used the following external organisations to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years:
	7 City
	Ashridge
	City Lit
	GovNet
	Heriot-Watt University
	Industry and Parliament Trust
	Linguarama
	London School of Economics
	Management Development Partnership
	Mayfair Tutors
	MDG Languages
	Middleton Burgess LTD
	National School for Government
	Priority Management
	Queen Mary and Westfield College
	University of London
	University of Warwick
	Victoria Language Club
	Westminster Explained
	The number of civil servants who have participated in provision of training for external organisations for that period could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost.

Dogs: Animal Welfare

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of illegal tail-docking prosecuted since April 2007 have resulted in a conviction.

Jane Kennedy: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts under the Animal Welfare Act for the offence Removing or causing or permitting or failing to prevent removal of dog's tail other than for medical treatment in England and Wales in 2007 are as follows:
	
		
			  2007 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Total 3 3 
			  Source: Office for Criminal Justice reform - Evidence and Analysis Unit 
		
	
	These data are provided on the principal offence basis.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.

Dogs: Electric Shock Equipment

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress has been made on the research commissioned by his Department into the use of electronic pet training aids for dogs; when he expects the research to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The research into electronic training aids funded by DEFRA is progressing well and in accordance with the agreed milestones. There are no results available for dissemination at this time as the research is still under way. The project is due to be completed in 2010.

Dogs: Electric Shock Equipment

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will consider the merits of the effects of imposing restrictions on the advertising of electric shock training devices.

Jane Kennedy: The Government have no plans at present to restrict or ban the advertising, sale or use of electronic training aids for animals. We are waiting for the results of DEFRA-funded research before making any decision as to whether to restrict or ban the use of such devices.

Floods

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 29-30W, on floods, whether the Environment Agency's new flood vulnerability database is accessible to the public.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency's Receptors Vulnerable to Flooding database is not accessible to the public. The database contains information which is sensitive and as such is classified as 'Restricted' under the Government's protective marking scheme. Some of the information is also owned by third parties.

Food Supply

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times officials from his Department have met representatives from the National Farmers Union to discuss food security in the last 24 months.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 January 2009
	Officials meet representatives from the National Farmers' Union frequently, both individually and in the context of discussions with other stakeholders, and at national and local levels. These discussions sometimes focus specifically on food security, such as the workshops held in September and November 2008, based on the discussion paper Ensuring the UK's Food Security in a Changing World, published in July last year. However, the issue of food security is also addressed in the context of broader discussions about the Department's strategic objectives, such as achieving a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply and a thriving farming and food sector. It is therefore not possible to provide a specific number of occasions when the topic has been discussed.

Forestry

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund provides support for schemes which protect forests or peat lands from deforestation or destruction.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government Carbon Offsetting Fund (GCOF) will take delivery of carbon credits sourced from a variety of projects accredited under the UN supervised Clean Development Mechanism. However, none of the projects drawn upon by the current GCOF scheme relate to the conservation of forests or peat lands.

Forestry: Accidents

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many accidents involving members of the public foraging for wood from forests under the regulation of the Forestry Commission have been recorded in the last 36 months.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Forestry Commission in England records and investigates all serious accidents on the public forest estate that are reported to them by members of the public. There have been a number of accidents as a result of slips and trips and these are given in the following table. None of these are recorded as having been in connection with the collection of firewood.
	
		
			  Slip/trip a ccidents 
			   Number 
			 2005-06 16 
			 2006-07 14 
			 2007-08 7

Genetically Modified Organisms: Animal Feed

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2008,  Official Report, column 804W, on genetically-modified organisms, what information he has received concerning animal deaths in connection with the consumption of the foliage of genetically-modified Bt cotton plants  (a) in the UK and  (b) elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA officials have read a number of published articles about the claim that animal deaths in India have arisen from the consumption of GM cotton plants, as part of its general monitoring of GM crop-related issues.

Horses

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 886W, on horse passports, what his latest estimate is of the number of equidae in England; and what assessment he has made of the efficacy of horse passports against the objectives set for the scheme.

Jane Kennedy: There is no figure available for the number of equidae in England. However, estimates of the horse population in Great Britain range from 1.0 to 1.35 million. Horse passports are an EU requirement introduced to prevent contaminated meat from entering the human food chain. Passports are also intended to reduce fraud and aid disease control and surveillance. The Meat Hygiene Service play an important role in ensuring that the horse is correctly identified and its passport is in order before horses are accepted for slaughter for human consumption. Samples are taken from a small number of horses entering the food chain as part of the UK statutory surveillance programme checking the appropriate use of veterinary medicinal products. In cases of non-compliance the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, which operates this programme, requires an investigation to be carried out which involves checking the details on the passport of the animal.

Incinerators: Hazardous Substances

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1052W, on incinerators: hazardous substances, which regional offices of the Environment Agency hold reports on the composition of the bottom ash of incinerators; and to which operating incinerators such reports relate.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 28 January 2009
	The following table shows the Environment Agency offices that hold public registers for the municipal solid waste incinerators, including the two main hazardous waste incinerators, operating in England and Wales.
	
		
			  Environment Agency office  Incinerators covered 
			 Upper Severn Area Office, Hafren House, Welshpool Road, Shelton, Shrewsbury SY3 8BB Kidderminster, Dudley, Wolverhampton 
			 Upper Trent Area Office, Sentinel House, Wellington Crescent, Fradley Park, Lichfield WS13 8RR Tyseley Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent 
			 Lower Severn Area Office, Riversmeet House, Newtown Industrial Estate, Northway Lane, Tewkesbury GL20 8JG Coventry 
			 Lower Trent Area Office, Trentside Office, Scarrington Road, West Bridgeford, Nottingham NG2 5FA Nottingham 
			 Yorkshire and Humber, Office Phoenix House, Global Avenue, Millshaw Lane, Leeds LS11 8PG Sheffield, Huddersfield 
			 Thames South East Area Office, Swift House, Frimley Business Park, Camberley GU16 5SQ SELCHP, Basingstoke (Chineham) 
			 Thames North East Area Office, Apollo Court, Bishops Square Business Park, St. Albans Road West, Hatfield AL10 9EX Edmonton 
			 Solent and South Downs Office, Colvedene Court, Colden Common SO21 1WP Isle of Wight, Fawley (Hazardous), Marchwood, Portsmouth 
			 North West Region, Southern Area Office, Appleton House, 430 Birchwood Boulevard, Warrington WA3 7WD Ellesmere Port (Hazardous), Bolton 
			 Dales Area Office, Coverdale House, Aviator Court, Amy Johnson Way, Clifton Moor YO30 4GZ Billingham 
			 Kent and East Sussex Area Office, Orchard House, Endeavour Park, London Road, Addington, West Mailing ME19 5SH Maidstone (Allington) 
			 Anglian Northern Area Office, Lincoln Office, Waterside House, Waterside North, Lincoln LN2 5HA Grimsby (Newlincs)

Incinerators: Hazardous Substances

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times the permitted level of harmful substances in incinerator bottom ash has been exceeded in the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 28  January 2009
	Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. Monitoring data relating to installations permitted under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (England and Wales) 2007 (formerly the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations) may be obtained via the public register section of the Environment Agency's website.

Livestock: Registration

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to require livestock keepers to enter into a compulsory registration scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: A compulsory annual fee based registration scheme of livestock keepers is being considered as part of the wider responsibility and cost sharing agenda for animal health. The purpose of the scheme would be to raise contributions from industry towards the control and eradications of exotic diseases. We plan to consult on specific proposals for implementing responsibility and cost sharing for animal health shortly.

Marine and Coastal Access Bill

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from the Northern Ireland Executive in relation to the Marine and Coastal Access Bill; what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Department of the Environment in relation to the Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Northern Ireland Ministers have worked with other UK Ministers throughout the development of the proposals in the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, most recently through the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) which held its plenary meeting in June 2008 when the draft Bill was discussed.
	Northern Ireland is fully committed to the policy aims underpinning the draft UK Bill in order to introduce a new framework for the marine environment based on sustainable development principles, which will work towards delivering clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. Ministers have also taken part in discussions on the Legislative Consent Motion needed from the Northern Ireland Assembly on certain measures in the Bill.
	The JMC announced on 27 November 2008 that the UK Government and devolved Administrations, including Northern Ireland, had reached agreement on a UK-wide approach to marine planning. This provides a coherent legislative framework with greater clarity and certainty for all those seeking to enjoy, or make a living from, the UK's waters.
	In addition, the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive work together as part of the British-Irish Council Environment Group which discussed marine issues at its last meeting in February 2008. Officials from the UK Government and the devolved Administrations continue to work together on the UK Bill and the expected Northern Ireland Assembly Bill.

Marine Management Organisation: Location

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the reasons are for the time taken to announce the location of the Maritime Management Organisation Headquarters; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he expects to make an announcement on the location of the Marine Management organisation headquarters; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The location decision is an important one which will be announced when all of the information and evidence has been considered carefully, in order to ensure that it is the right decision and the best home for the MMO. A statement will be made to the House of Commons announcing the decision.

Milk: Prices

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times officials from his Department have met representatives from the UK dairy industry to discuss  (a) milk pricing and  (b) milk production in the last 24 months.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 January 2009
	DEFRA officials meet representatives from the UK dairy industry on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the sector. However, discussions do not cover milk pricing. The setting of milk prices is a commercial matter to be resolved by private negotiation which must take place within the parameters set by competition law.

Nitrates: EU Law

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to assist farmers to meet the requirements of the EU Nitrates Directive; and what recent representations he has received on the effects of implementation of the Directive on farming.

Jane Kennedy: We received over 600 responses to the consultation on proposals to revise the Nitrates Regulations. Since the consultation closed in December, representations have continued to be received from the farming sector. The proposals were also the subject of an inquiry by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
	I recognise that some farmers in nitrate vulnerable zones will face costs when implementing the new rules established by the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008. By way of mitigation, we are applying to the European Commission for a derogation from one of the most costly new rules, the livestock manure N farm limit. If this application is successful, costs to eligible dairy farmers would be significantly reduced.
	In addition, a package of advice and support, including a technical helpline, comprehensive guidance material, information events and practical workshops, is currently being rolled out nationally.
	There are a number of existing potential sources of financial support available to farmers which could be used to help with implementation of the Action Programme measures. For example, funding through the Rural Development Programme for Englandwhich is being administered by the Regional Development Agenciescould be used to support on-farm capital investments for modernising farm holdings, structures and equipment in a manner that will improve the management of manure and nutrients including, for example, the development of anaerobic digestion facilities.
	Furthermore, slurry storage facilities are eligible for plant and machinery allowances such as the new annual investment allowance, capped at 50,000 per year. Slurry pits also qualify for allowances in their own right under the Capital Allowances Act 2001.
	For farmers who have land in a priority catchment, the England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative is operating a capital grant scheme under which part-funding may be available for items such as roofs for slurry stores and for improving yard drainage (clean and foul water separation).

Official Cars

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what cars are  (a) owned,  (b) leased,  (c) hired and  (d) otherwise regularly used by his Department, broken down by cubic capacity of engine.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 10W.

Pets: Primates

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2008,  Official Report, column 808W, on primates, who he has appointed to  (a) advise on and  (b) draft the code of practice on the private keeping of primates; and which bodies he has consulted.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has assembled a working group to draft the code of practice on the private keeping of non-human primates. The working group is representative of and will consult with others who are either private keepers or have other relevant expertise.
	The RSPCA, zoo veterinarians, veterinarian bodies, a leading primate rescue centre and a number of independent experts are involved in taking this work forward.

Recycling: Batteries

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to promote community battery recycling schemes.

Jane Kennedy: The Waste and Resources Action programme (WRAP) has worked in partnership with a range of local authorities and not-for-profit organisations to pilot portable waste battery collection trials in the UK. Trials include establishing 'drop off' points in shops and in public buildings such as libraries and sports centres, as well as other methods of collection such as at the kerbside.
	WRAP'S report on the results from the trials is available at:
	http://www.wrap.org.uk/downloads/Batteries report_final.84146d7e.6153.pdf
	We are currently consulting on regulations to implement the EU Batteries Directive.
	The directive requires greatly increased collection, treatment and recycling of batteries over the next few years. The UK regulations will require all shops that sell a significant quantity of batteries to collect batteries returned by members of the public. In addition batteries producers will need to set up other collections to meet their targets under the directive. In doing so we expect that producers will draw on the information in the WRAP report on the effectiveness of community recycling schemes and other ways of collecting waste batteries.

Rivers: Dredging

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what dredging has taken place of the River Avon between Tewkesbury and Eckington in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency has not carried out dredging on the River Avon between Tewkesbury and Eckington in the last five years. The Environment Agency routinely considers dredging and vegetation management in watercourses to reduce flood risk. The Environment Agency prioritises this according to risk and carries out such work where it is technically sound, economically viable, environmentally acceptable and sustainable.
	On a larger river like the River Avon, the erosion, transportation and deposition of material within the river channel is a natural process. Dredging the river has historically been carried out in localised areas by the Lower Avon Navigation Trust to allow boats to travel safely along the river.

Rivers: Dredging

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what dredging of the River Severn between Gloucester and Tewkesbury has taken place over the last five years; what the Environment Agency's policy is on the dredging of rivers; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency has not carried out dredging on the River Severn between Gloucester and Tewkesbury in the last five years. The Environment Agency routinely considers dredging and vegetation management in watercourses to reduce flood risk. The Environment Agency prioritises this according to risk and carries out such work where it is technically sound, economically viable, environmentally acceptable and sustainable.
	On a larger river like the River Severn, the erosion, transportation and deposition of material within the river channel is a natural process. Dredging the river has historically been carried out in localised areas by British Waterways to allow boats to travel safely along the river.

Rivers: Licensing

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been collected in licence fees from users of  (a) the River Avon and  (b) the River Severn in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We do not have this information for the River Avon which is managed by an independent statutory navigation authority. British Waterways is the navigation authority for the River Severn from Gloucester to Stourport (there is no navigation authority upstream of Stourport and ownership is shared between local authorities and private landowners).
	The licence fees for that part of the river Severn under British Waterways' jurisdiction are set out as follows:
	
		
			   Value of licences sold ()  Number of licences  Number of boats 
			 2004-05 101,106 494 493 
			 2005-06 103,583 523 506 
			 2006-07 103,691 488 467 
			 2007-08 112,961 515 487

Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Government department and Minister has overall responsibility for ensuring that the  (a) River Severn and  (b) River Avon remain navigable; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA sponsors British Waterways which is the navigation authority responsible for ensuring that the stretch of the River Severn between Gloucester and Stourport remains navigable. There is no navigation authority north of Stourport.
	The Lower Avon Navigation Trust together with the Upper Avon Navigation Trust are responsible for the management of the River Avon. Both are independent statutory navigation authorities.

Rural Areas: Planning

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which measures outlined in Articles 20 to 65, Title IV of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005 on support for rural developments by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development have been adopted as measures within the Rural Development Programme for England 2007 to 2013; for what reasons those measures not included in the Programme were omitted; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: All of the measures outlined in Articles 20 to 65, Title IV of the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005 on support for rural developments by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development which are applicable in the UK have been adopted as measures within the Rural Development Programme for England 2007 to 2013, with the exception of those listed in the following table. This table provides an explanation for why they have not been adopted. These omissions were agreed following full public consultation and discussion with affected parties.
	
		
			  Measure  Explanation 
			 Article 20 (a) (ii) setting up young farmers. actions In 2004, ADAS reported to DEFRA on entry to and exit from farming. In 2000, 5.2 per cent. of 'agricultural' holders were under 35 years old compared to 7.4 per cent. in 1990. Between 1999 and 2004, the entry rate was 2 per cent. of farming population and the exit rate 18 per cent., mainly because of a decline in the total number of farmers and farm businesses. The report identified no evidence of major barriers to entry that justified policy intervention and no evidence of significant market failure in the processes of entry to and exit from farming. The research found that entry and exit decisions are rational and driven by strong market forces and personal motivations and that financial inducement to affect the rate of entry or exit would be expensive and ineffectual. Any use of financial incentives to facilitate entry to and exit from farming risks deadweight i.e. that many would enter farming in any casethe majority of those entering farming do so through the family farm. The most common reason given for the low rate of entry to farming was the expectation of relatively low incomes. This cannot be addressed through a start up grant as envisaged in the Rural Development Regulation but rather by developing a competitive, viable and sustainable farming sector. DEFRA is supporting the industry-led initiative 'Fresh Start' which encourages new entrants into farming whilst at the same time stimulating existing farmers to think how they will respond to CAP reform, such as expanding their business, diversifying or even retiring. Such choices create opportunities for new entrants. 
			 Article 20 (a) (iii) early retirement of farmers and farm workers As above. 
			   
			 Article 20 (b) (vi) restoring agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters and introducing appropriate prevention In England, the principal risk to agricultural production potential from natural disasters is through flooding. 
			  Determining the exact nature of support required in the event of large-scale flooding is impracticable now. We would prefer to apply for an 'emergency' modification to the Programme to activate this measure if and when a catastrophe occurs and if it is considered that Programme funds are the best way of providing support to those affected. This will enable support offered to be closely matched to the needs arising from that particular disaster. 
			   
			 Article 20 (c) (i) helping farmers to adapt to demanding standards based on Community legislation This measure would not add value in the England context, because farmers are expected to observe community standards as a condition of receiving direct payments under Pillar 1 of the Common Agricultural Policy i.e. the Single Payment Scheme. 
			   
			 Article 20 (c) (ii) supporting farmers who participate in food quality schemes Farmers who participate in food quality schemes generally do so either with a view to obtaining a price premium (in which case their participation is rewarded through the market) or because they need to do so in order to sell to a specific market (which is often the case with baseline assurance schemes). This is demonstrated by the fact that in England and the UK there is already a high level of membership of assurance schemes. Given this there would be relatively little public benefit (additionality) in adopting this measure in England. 
			 Article 20 (c) (iii) supporting producer groups for information and promotion activities for products under food quality schemes As above. 
			   
			 Article 36 (a) (i) natural handicap payments to farmers in mountain areas There are no areas in England that qualify for this measure. 
			   
			 Article 36 (a) (iii) Natura 2000 payments and payments linked to Directive 2000/60/EC (the Water Framework Directive) It is not proposed to provide compensation to farmers for costs incurred and income foregone resulting from restrictions on the use of land under Natura 2000 or under Directive 2000/60/EC. Such compensation fails to deliver added value because such restrictions arise from a clearly defined legal obligation. Instead, the need to comply with these restrictions is built into the cross-compliance conditions that apply to all receiving Single Payment Scheme payments and/or Rural Development Programme funding. 
			  It is proposed to use the agri-environment measure, delivered through Environmental Stewardship, to help farmers in England meet the cost of any positive management needed to restore Natura 2000 sites to, or maintain them in, favourable condition. This course of action is justified for the following reasons: 
			  The requirement in the Habitats Directive to maintain the Natura 2000 network in favourable conservation status is delivered in England by including Natura 2000 sites in the network of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The domestic legislation governing SSSIs (the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as substituted by Schedule 9 of Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000) requires their managers to abide by standards and procedures aimed at avoiding damage and ensuring prior notification of major changes in land management. However, the same legislation requires a voluntary approach to be taken to ensuring the positive management of these sites wherever possible. The voluntary approach has been taken because of the difficulty of imposing complex positive management, which arises because the co-operation of the land manager is extremely important to the success of such management. Reserve powers to require specific positive management are available, but are very seldom used. In the over whelming majority of cases, land managers agree to undertake the necessary positive management on a voluntary basis. 
			  Under the SSSI system, land managers are provided with information on the positive management needed to ensure that their sites are restored to or maintained in favourable condition. The nature and intensity of this management varies considerably between and even within individual sites. For this reason a flat rate payment per hectare is not appropriate. 
			  Evidence that no compensation is offered to land managers for the designation of their land as part of the Natura 2000 network comes from the structure of Environmental Stewardship, the delivery mechanism for the agri-environment measure in England. While Natura 2000 sites may well be among the areas targeted by the scheme, it makes no distinction in terms of the options and payment rates between land that is designated as Natura 2000 and land that is not. 
			  It is also worth noting that under this UK legislation SSSIs that are part of the Natura 2000 network are treated in exactly the same way as those that are not. Land within a Natura 2000 site is not therefore subject to any additional land management restrictions compared to non-Natura 2000 land that is designated as SSSI. There are additional safeguards in relation to development proposals, but these are outside the scope of Article 38 of the Council Regulation. 
			  Therefore, through a combination of legislative requirements and payments for positive management using the agri-environment Measure, all the requirements for Natura 2000 sites are met without the need for compensation payments. 
			   
			 Article 36 (a) (v) animal welfare payments Animal welfare in England is regularly monitored and often exceeds standards. For example, State Veterinary Service inspections carried out in 2005 demonstrated that for randomly inspected farms (programmed and elective visits) nearly 80 per cent. comply with both legislation and voluntary codes of practice. As the European Commission noted in 2002, research has shown that both farm animal welfare and product quality improves when the people who care for, transport and handle the animals are well-trained, have a positive attitude towards their jobs and the animals, treat the animals with care, and are attentive to their needs. It is therefore important to educate and inform these professionals. It is felt that this strikes the right note and properly records the importance of extending good animal health and welfare beyond the farm gate. Ongoing payments for animal welfare (normally for between five and seven years under the Regulation) would not be the most effective way of delivering animal health and welfare outcomes in England, and in particular would represent a significant diversion of funds away from other priorities. However, it will be possible to obtain support for knowledge transfer based training and skills in relation to animal health and welfare under other parts of the programme. 
			   
			 Article 36 (b) (ii) First establishment of agro-forestry systems on agricultural land The Government recognise the value of agro-forestry systems, especially in traditional parkland. Small scale planting and maintenance of trees within parkland will be included as eligible activities under agri-environment payments. At present we do not perceive a need to support the creation of new parkland on a large scale, but it is possible that during the course of the programming period we will wish to revisit our decision not to use this particular measure. However, given the limited funds likely to be available for Axis 2 forestry measures in England, for the moment we wish to concentrate such support on the targeted creation of new woodland and the improved maintenance of existing woodland. 
			   
			 Article 36 (b) (iv) Natura 2000 payments It is not proposed to provide compensation to farmers or foresters for costs incurred and income foregone resulting from restrictions on the use of land under Natura 2000. Such compensation fails to deliver added value because such restrictions arise from a clearly defined legal obligation. 
			  It is proposed to use the Forest Environment Measure delivered through the English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS), to help forest holders in England meet the cost of any positive management needed to restore Natura 2000 sites to, or maintain them in, favourable condition. This course of action is justified for the following reasons: 
			  The requirements in the Habitats Directive to maintain the Natura 2000 network in favourable conservation status is delivered in England by including Natura 2000 sites in the network of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The domestic legislation governing SSSIs (the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as substituted by Schedule 9 of Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000) requires their managers to abide by standards and procedures aimed at avoiding damage and ensuring prior notification of major changes in land management. However, the same legislation requires a voluntary approach to be taken to ensuring the positive management of these sites wherever possible. The voluntary approach has been taken because of the difficulty of imposing complex positive management, which arises because the co-operation of the land manager is extremely important to the success of such management. Reserve powers to require specific positive management are available, but are very seldom used. In the overwhelming majority of cases, land managers agree to undertake the necessary positive management on a voluntary basis, so compensation is not appropriate. 
			  It is also worth noting that under this UK legislation SSSIs that are part of the Natura 2000 network are treated in exactly the same way as those that are not. Land within a Natura 2000 site is not therefore subject to any additional land management restrictions compared to non-Natura 2000 land that is designated as SSSI. There are additional safeguards in relation to development proposals, but these are outside the scope of Article 38 of the Council Regulation. 
			  Under the SSSI system, woodland managers are provided with information on the positive management needed to ensure that their sites are restored to or maintained in favourable condition. The nature and intensity of this management varies considerably between and even within individual sites. For this reason a flat rate payment per hectare is not appropriate. 
			  Evidence that no compensation is offered to land managers for the designation of their land as part of the Natura 2000 network comes from the structure of the England Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS), the delivery mechanism for the forest-environment measure in England. While Natura 2000 sites may well be among the areas targeted by the scheme, it does not prevent payments for woodland that is not designated. 
			   
			 Article 36 (b) (vi) restoring forestry potential and introducing prevention actions This measure is primarily intended to provide support for forests and wooded areas damaged by fire. Under the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), all areas of England are classed as low or very low fire risk, in all seasons. In addition, the largest woodlands in England that are at greatest risk are publicly owned. However, the measure does refer to other natural disasters and while we do not immediately feel a need to implement this measure we recognise that we may need to do so if a natural disaster occurs. The most likely examples are catastrophic storm damage, devastating drought or the threat of a disease or pest epidemic. Determining the exact nature of support required in such circumstances is impracticable now. It is preferable that an application for an 'emergency' modification to the Programme to activate this measure will be made if and when a catastrophe occurs. This will enable support offered to be closely matched to the needs arising from that particular disaster.

Rural Enterprise Scheme

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Government funding was allocated to the Rural Enterprise Scheme in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Rural Enterprise scheme (RES) formed part of the now closed England Rural Development programme 2000-06 (ERDP). RES closed for new applications on 30 June 2006. Funding spent on RES projects in financial years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 was as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2005-06 30.8 
			 2006-07 29.5 
			 2007-08 7.8 
		
	
	The ERDP was succeeded by the Rural Development programme for England 2007-13 (RDPE). A number of the RDPE socio-economic measures are similar to the activity funded under the Rural Enterprise scheme. These measures are delivered by the Regional Development Agencies and have been available since 1 January 2008. The budget allocated for these measures in 2008-09 is 89.5 million.

Set-aside Schemes

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects of the abolition of set-aside on farmland bird numbers.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 29 January 2009
	An assessment of the likely effects of the abolition of set-aside on farmland bird numbers formed a key part of the work commissioned by Sir Don Curry's High Level Group on set-aside, the final report of which was published on 22 July 2008. A copy can be found on the DEFRA website at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/deliverygroup/index.htm.

Sight Impaired

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidelines his Department follows in respect of making printed materials and forms accessible to people suffering red/green colour blindness.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA procures virtually all its design and print services via Communisisa private sector print management company. It is their standard practice to avoid red/green, yellow/blue text/background combinations.

The Code of Good Agricultural Practice

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to his Department was of producing and distributing The Code of Good Agricultural Practice.

Jane Kennedy: A number of technical specialists from DEFRA and its agencies contributed to the content of the new Code of Good Agricultural Practice. The publication updates the previously published codes of practice for water, soil and air which have been periodically updated for the past 20 years. Therefore, the total cost of producing the new Code of Good Agricultural Practice is not readily available.
	DEFRA has not yet incurred any costs for printing and distributing the Code of Good Agricultural Practice. The publication is available for download, free from DEFRA's website. Hard copies are currently being printed and are available to order free of charge from The Stationary Office.

Veterinary Services

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many marketing authorisations are extant for veterinary vaccines in the UK; and how many authorisations have been granted variations by the Veterinary Medicines Agency allowing holders of authorisations to waive the use of animals for target animal batch safety testing under European Medicines Agency guidance in the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: There are 317 extant marketing authorisations for veterinary vaccines in the UK. Details of these vaccines are available on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's (VMD) website:
	www.vmd.gov.uk.
	In the last five years the VMD has granted 15 variations allowing marketing authorisation holders to waive the use of animals for target animal batch safety testing.

Waste Disposal: EC Law

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what process of consultation he plans to undertake to inform the implementation of the Waste Framework Directive.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 28 January 2009
	EU member states are required to bring the revised Waste Framework Directive into force by 12 December 2010. DEFRA proposes to inform the directive's transposition in England by means of a two-stage consultation process. Stage 1 will consult on issues of policy and strategy and stage 2 on the transposing legislation. On the basis of our provisional timetable, stage 1 will be published in spring 2009 and stage 2 by the end of 2009. Both consultations will be for 12-week periods and will be carried out in line with the principles in the Government's Code of Practice on Consultation (July 2008).
	As waste policy is a devolved matter, transposition and implementation of the directive in other parts of the United Kingdom and the associated consultation process is the responsibility of the relevant devolved Administration.

Waste Disposal: EC Law

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the application of Article 3 (1) (b) (i) of the 2006 Waste Directive.

Jane Kennedy: Our measures to provide for the recovery of waste in England are set out in the Waste Strategy for England 2007.
	Since 2006 we have made significant progress. Recycling and composting of household waste was at 34 per cent. in 2007-08. The recycling of packaging has increased to around 59 per cent. Less waste is being landfilled, with a decrease from 65 million tonnes in 2006 to 62 million tonnes in 2007. Total municipal waste collected is also decreasing, down by 2.3 per cent. between 2006-07 and 2007-08.
	A revised EU Waste Framework Directive has recently been adopted (Directive 2008/98/EC) and member states are required to bring its provisions into effect by 12 December 2010.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent to date on  (a) research,  (b) preparation and  (c) planning for the new charges for the collection of household waste.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 January 2009
	There are no new charges for the collection of household waste.
	Powers provided by the Climate Change Act would allow up to five local authorities to pilot incentive schemes which help to reduce the levels of waste produced and to enhance the success of recycling programmes. These powers were requested by local authorities. However, no local authority has brought forward a proposal to use the powers.
	In preparing for the clauses in the Climate Change Act, DEFRA's research costs were 41,614.83. DEFRA also purchased data, used to inform the impact assessment, on the distributional impacts of waste charging in Flanders, at a cost of 2,166.40.
	Other costs are salary costs which are part of the Department's normal budget.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of apprenticeships which have been interrupted by redundancy in the current economic situation; and what steps he is taking to  (a) reduce that number and  (b) mitigate the effects of redundancy on individual apprentices.

Si�n Simon: We do not currently hold data centrally about the total number of apprentices made redundant. Working with ConstructionSkills and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) we have established a matching service to help apprentices in the construction sector at risk of redundancy to find alternative employment and to complete their apprenticeship. More generally, providers and the LSC have procedures to advise and relocate apprentices, in cases where providers or employers fail, to help ensure that they are able to continue in work and complete their apprenticeship. The 140 million package announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister last week for an additional 35,000 apprenticeship places will help fund new provision in both the public sector and private sector, and will extend the opportunities available to people facing redundancy. This package will further boost the number of people starting an apprenticeship which has increased from 65,000 in 1996/97 to 225,000 last year and further improve the completion rate which rose to an all-time high of 64 per cent. in 2007/08.
	We do have some information on redundancies in the construction sector where 295 redundant apprentices have been subsequently re-employed. We are continuing to help 1,040 redundant apprentices in the construction sector. We also estimate that around 150 apprentices were employed by Woolworths. We are working to establish how many of these apprentices have been found alternative employment.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in his Department's buildings in the last 12 months.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has spent a total of 2,110 on works and refurbishments for Ministers' offices in the last 12 months.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department assist special advisers; and what the cost of employing such staff has been since his Department was established.

Si�n Simon: Three civil servants support the Secretary of State's special advisers. They provide support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
	Individual civil servants' salary details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1406W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008.

Si�n Simon: Ministers in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills have taken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008:
	Foreign language lessons;
	Cabinet Committees;
	European Union;
	Media Training.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Si�n Simon: The Department was created on 28 June 2007. The names of external organisations engaged to provide training for the staff in the fast stream are listed in the following table:
	
		
			   Organisations 
			 2007(1) National School for Government 
			 2008 National School for Government 
			  Stanton Marris Associates 
			  Westminster Explained 
			  Parity Training Ltd 
			  PTS Consortium 
			 (1) From 28 June 2007 
		
	
	The number of civil servants who have participated in training for external organisations since the Department's creation is not collected centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the answer of 15 September 2008,  Official Report, column 2047W, on economic and monetary union, whether the review and update of his Department's euro changeover plan has been completed; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version.

Si�n Simon: The Department has relied on the euro changeover plans of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Children, Schools and Families until now. These arrangements will remain in place until 31 March 2010, when the Department will transfer to a new shared service operator.
	As part of the Department's work to establish and agree the delivery of corporate systems with a new shared service operator this issue will be addressed. A copy of the completed document will be placed in the Library when this work is completed.
	The National Weights and Measures Laboratory provided information to the former Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in October 2004 and this formed part of their euro preparations. A more detailed plan was performed in March 2000 which formed part of HM Treasury euro changeover plan.
	The UK Intellectual Property Office last updated its euro conversion plan in September 2004 and it formed part of the former DTI overall plan. The plan has not been published, given the time that has lapsed, while the principles are still relevant the legislation, IT systems and costs referred to are significantly out of date and publication would be of little value.

Higher Education: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made since December 2008 of incidents of intimidation of Jewish and Israeli students on university campuses; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: This Government deplores acts of racial or religious intolerance and we are committed to tackling anti-Semitism and any form of racial intolerance. Higher education institutions have the primary responsibility for ensuring that their students are not subject to threatening or abusive behaviour on campus and addressing any complaints received. The Department does not collect this type of data.
	We are committed to encouraging higher education institutions to ensure that discrimination has no place in any of their policies or practices and to act swiftly when incidents or complaints are brought to their attention. The Department is setting up a dedicated sub-group to the Cross-Government Working Group against anti-Semitism to facilitate discussions between the Jewish community and higher education stakeholders.

Higher Education: Business

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students whose places were co-funded with employers have been admitted to English universities in each of the past three years.

David Lammy: The development and delivery of higher education (HE) courses designed and co-funded with employers is achieving good sustained growth in employer-based student places, as well as introducing the principle of employer demand-led funding. To date, employer co-funded projects have delivered some 989 places in 2006/07 and 3,840 places in 2007/08. The latest period for which we have confirmed data tells us growth is continuing against our target of 5,000 new co-funded places for this academic year (2008/09), with around 10,700 places allocated.

Legal Opinion

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost was of external legal services provided to his Department in each of the last five years.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) was created by machinery of government changes at the end of June 2007. Information on legal costs before that date is available from the predecessor departments of DIUSthe Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	In 2007-08 the Department spent 344,000 on external legal services.

London Metropolitan University

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what information his Department holds on the financial performance of the London Metropolitan University; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Like other universities, London Metropolitan university receives grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) under a financial memorandum which sets out how it should properly account for its public funding. It is for the Funding Council to keep the financial health of the institutions it funds under review to protect the public interest, including ensuring that public funds are properly spent. Following the discovery that the university had received grant based on incorrect returns, discussions about the way forward are continuing between HEFCE and London Metropolitan university.

Students: Loans

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his most recent estimate of the amount of overpayments made in repayments of student loans is.

David Lammy: As of 31 March 2008, 89,971 borrowers with income-contingent student loans had overpaid a total amount of 47,913,611 since the scheme began. This represents an average of 533 per borrower. These amounts were refunded with interest by the Student Loans Company (SLC) when borrowers' accounts were reconciled following the end of each financial year.
	The SLC is putting a number of measures in place to help customers avoid overpayment. Later this year, all borrowers who are reaching the end of repayment will be given the option to make final repayments outside the tax system, via direct debit, to ensure they do not overpay. SLC have also introduced new guidance and tools, including an online calculator, to help customers work out their loan balance, and therefore when they are likely to pay their loan in full.

Vocational Training: Finance

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department has undertaken research into the efficacy of Government funding to businesses to move staff on to part-time working and providing training part-time.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 19 January 2009
	The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has not conducted research specifically on the issue of Government funding to businesses to move on to part-time working and provide training part-time.
	The Government recognises the importance of part-time study in higher-education. We were the first to introduce statutory financial support for part-time students. For 2008/09 the maximum course grant is 255 and maximum fee grant is 1,180.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Allowances

Eric Pickles: To ask the Leader of the House whether hon. Members whose constituency offices are located within the Nottingham City Council workplace parking charging zone will be able to claim the costs of workplace parking charges from their allowances.

Chris Bryant: No such scheme as yet exists.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Business: Industrial Health and Safety

Bill Olner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate his Department has made of the average annual cost to small and medium-sized enterprises of applying for and proving competence in multiple health and safety pre-qualification questionnaires.

Graham Brady: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the financial and administrative effects on small and medium-sized enterprises of applying for and proving competence in multiple health and safety pre-qualification questionnaires.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The Glover report, 'Accelerating the SME Economic Engine', published on the HMT website in November 2008, made 12 recommendations to improve SME access to public procurement including:
	Procurers should ensure that, where they rely on a particular accreditation scheme or standard as part of the process of prequalification or contract award, that they take a flexible approach. Businesses should be given the opportunity to provide evidence that they can meet the contract requirements by reference to other similar equivalent accreditations or standards they may already holdespecially where these have been recognised or required by other public sector procurers.
	Government are currently implementing these recommendations.

Small Businesses

Maria Miller: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small businesses have ceased trading permanently in each quarter of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many small businesses have ceased trading permanently in each quarter of the last five years (250971).
	Quarterly statistics on businesses that have ceased trading are not available. Annual estimates on births, deaths and survivals of businesses are available from the ONS Business Demography publication. The table below contains the latest annual estimates.
	
		
			   Business deaths  (Thousand) 
			 2003 232 
			 2004 244 
			 2005 228 
			 2006(1) 209 
			 2007(1) 228 
			 (1) The figures for 2006 and 2007 are provisional. 
		
	
	The latest two years are considered provisional to allow for the possibility of closed businesses reactivating.
	For 2007 separate statistics are available for businesses with 0-4, 5-9, 10-19 and 20 or more employment. For the full dataset see:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=15186

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Department of Resources: Contracts

Graham Stringer: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many contracts of employment for staff working for hon. and right hon. Members lodged with the Department of Resources that Department has been unable to locate in the last 12 months.

Nick Harvey: There are some 2,700 staff employed by hon. Members using standard contracts. About 70 new staff are appointed each month. The Green Book requires Members to lodge contracts and job descriptions with the Department of Resources. Following a recommendation by the National Audit Office, the Department carried out an exercise in 2007 to establish how many contracts were not held as required by the Green Book. At that time 371 were not held. A similar exercise in 2008 found that 218 were not held. No information is available on how many of these had been lodged but mislaid. The Department has taken action to request that copies of the contracts be deposited in accordance with the decision made by the Members Estimate Committee on 20 October 2008.

Members: Allowances

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 542-43W, on Members: allowances, 
	(1)  what timetable was given to the contractor brought in to assist with the process of publishing the details of hon. Members' expenses; and whether there are penalties in the contract for any delays that occur;
	(2)  when the process of scanning and redacting receipts for hon. Members' expenses will be completed and passed to hon. Members for checking.

Nick Harvey: The process of scanning and redacting claims, receipts etc has been undertaken in two stages. The first stage included the scanning of all relevant documentation and the initial editing and was concluded in October 2008 within agreed deadlines. The second stage has involved further editing to take account of privacy and security concerns apparent on completion of stage 1. This work is currently in hand and will be completed in March within agreed time frames. There have been no delays in the fulfilment of the contract. On completion of the scanning and editing work, hon. Members will need to check the records relating to them, and further editing may then be required. A date for sending out this information has not yet been set, but Members will receive advance notification of what they will need to do and how to raise matters of concern.

Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will list the external public relations consultants or contractors who are employed or commissioned by the House of Commons Commission; and what payments have been made to Ms Sheree Dodd in relation to the provision of public relations in the last three years.

Nick Harvey: Sheree Dodd was contracted through the Central Office of Information in February 2008 to provide media advice to the House of Commons Commission. Payments for her services from 26 February 2008 to date, including a COI administration charge, have totalled 41,986.05. In addition, Colman Getty is being paid in connection with public relations for Big Ben's 150th anniversary.

HEALTH

Ambulance Services: Standards

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans  (a) to assess and  (b) publish the performance of ambulance trusts at district-by-district level; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Emergency ambulance response time data are collected centrally by the Department of Health at ambulance trust level. The Department currently has no plans to change the level at which this data are collected. It is a matter for the local national health service to ensure there is appropriate provision of emergency services that are responsive to people's needs.

Asthma: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the rates of asthma in  (a) children aged four years and under,  (b) children aged five to 14 years and  (c) adults in each London borough per 1,000 population; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 2 February 2009
	Data are not collected in the format requested. Data are collected on the number of people in each practice on the asthma disease register by primary care trust (PCT), and by prevalence. The national Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) records the number of people recorded on practice registers; the number of patients on the clinical registers can be used to calculate measures of disease prevalence, expressing the number of patients on each register as a percentage of the number of patients on practices lists. 2007-08 data are contained in 'PCT level QOF tables'. The following table shows the number of people recorded on asthma registers in 2007-08 from the QOF.
	
		
			  Numbers of QOF disease registers and unadjusted prevalence rates by primary care trust 
			  Primary care trust (PCT) name  Sum of asthma register counts  Asthma unadjusted prevalence (percentage) 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 7,664 4.2 
			 Barnet Primary Care Trust 16,930 4.6 
			 Bexley Care Trust 11,648 5.2 
			 Brent PCT 15,431 4.4 
			 Bromley PCT 16,503 5.1 
			 Camden Primary Care Trust 9,392 4.3 
			 City and Hackney Primary Care Team 11,321 4.2 
			 Croydon Primary Care Trust 18,005 4.8 
			 Ealing PCT 18,025 5.0 
			 Enfield PCT 13,786 4.7 
			 Greenwich PCT 12,261 4.6 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 8,202 4.3 
			 Haringey PCT 12,516 4.6 
			 Harrow PCT 12,734 5.5 
			 Havering PCT 11,798 4.7 
			 Hillingdon PCT 13,619 5.1 
			 Hounslow PCT 11,396 4.4 
			 Islington Primary Care Trust 11,086 5.4 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 6,168 3.4 
			 Kingston 8,605 4.6 
			 Lambeth PCT 15,822 4.4 
			 Lewisham PCT 14,939 5.1 
			 Newham Primary Care Team 14,939 4.5 
			 Redbridge PCT 12,030 4.6 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 8,249 4.2 
			 Southwark PCT 11,925 4.0 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 19,777 4.9 
			 Tower Hamlets Primary Care Team 10,846 4.5 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 12,476 4.7 
			 Wandsworth PCT 13,703 4.2 
			 Westminster PCT 8,018 3.4 
			  Notes: 1. QOF is the national Quality and Outcomes Framework, introduced as part of the new General Medical Services contract on 1 April 2004. 2. Participation by practices in the QOF is voluntary, though participation rates are very high, with most Personal Medical Services practices also taking part. 3. The published QOF information was derived from the Quality Management Analysis System (QMAS), a national system developed by NHS Connecting for Health. 4. QMAS uses data from general practices to calculate individual practices' QOF achievement. QMAS is a national IT system developed by NHS Connecting for Health to support the QOF. 5. The system calculates practice achievement against national targets. It gives general practices, PCTs and strategic health authorities (SHAs) objective evidence and feedback on the quality of care delivered to patients. 6. The QMAS captures the number of patients on the various disease registers for each practice. The number of patients on the clinical registers can be used to calculate measures of disease prevalence, expressing the number of patients on each register as a percentage of the number of patients on practices' lists. 7. Unadjusted prevalence = (number on disease register/list size) *100. These are raw data. 8. QOF data are collected annually.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) for April 2007 to March 2008, England QMAS database2007-08 data as at end of June 2008

Care Homes: Standards

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidelines his Department has issued to local authorities on incentives to care homes to achieve three stars under the Commission for Social Care Inspection's rating scheme;
	(2)  how many local authorities provide special payments to care homes which achieve three stars under the Commission for Social Care Inspection's rating scheme.

Phil Hope: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) introduced its star rating system in May 2008 to enable commissioners and users of services and the public to see whether CSCI judges a care service to be excellent, good, adequate or poor. Star ratings are based on the results of CSCI inspections of services against the relevant regulations and national minimum standards.
	The Department has not issued guidance to local authorities on incentives to care homes to achieve higher quality ratings. However, we expect local authorities to commission high quality services and would, therefore, anticipate that care homes which are rated as good or excellent will be more likely to attract local authorities' business.
	Fees paid by local authorities for care are for local negotiation. Information on whether councils make special payments to care homes which are awarded three stars by CSCI is not collected centrally.

Diabetes: Children

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to assist those with childhood diabetes in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Ann Keen: Our document Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter, published in April 2007, drew attention to differences in the management of diabetes in children and young peoplewhich is complex and significantly different from adult care. A copy of the document has already been placed in the Library.
	It stated that all children and young people with diabetes should have access to a Children and Young Person Specialist Diabetes (CYPSD) team with appropriate training and competencies; routine care, continuing care and annual assessment; and access to routine and integrated psychological support.
	A Children and Young People Diabetes Implementation Support Group has been set up to take forward work on the report's recommendations. The group is chaired by the National Clinical Director for Children, Dr. Sheila Shribman, and includes representation from Diabetes UK, Royal Colleges, young people with diabetes, parents and representatives from organisations with an interest in this area, including the Healthcare Commission.
	One of the obligations of the group is to raise the profile of quality care for children and young people with diabetes across the country.
	It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) and trusts to take forward implementation locally. One example of this is Middlesbrough PCT which has in place a multi-disciplinary team currently providing a service for some 140 children with diabetes. The PCT is developing closer ties with partners in education to develop protocols for use in schools.

Diazepam

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to control the illegal re-sale of diazepam; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	As a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 the illegal re-sale of diazepam is controlled; its illegal supply is a serious criminal matter.
	Police must prioritise resources towards tackling crime, including drugs crime with a focus on those offences which cause the most harm. As such, operational activity may focus on Class A and B drugs, particularly the supply of drugs such as cocaine and heroin.
	Where there is an identified need for a local response to a priority problemsuch as the supply of diazepam in clubs, partner agencies, including the police, can be tasked through existing Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to work towards achieving a joined-up solution.
	This may include enforcement, treatment, improved communication or a range of other options depending on what is needed within the community concerned.

Health Services: Foreigners

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the sale of donated organs to non-UK citizens who have transplant operations in NHS hospitals.

Dawn Primarolo: Section 32 of the Human Tissue Act 2004 makes it illegal to deal commercially in human material for transplantation.

Heart Diseases

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to replace the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Although the Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework (CHD NSF), launched in March 2000, was a 10-year plan of action, heart services must continue to develop after March 2010. The Department is currently considering how it might best support the national health service to build on the considerable success of the CHD NSF.

Heart Diseases

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the targets set under the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease have not yet been met.

Ann Keen: The National Service Framework (NSF) for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, does not contain any specific targets but it does recommend 12 Standards of care for CHD. The national health service (NHS) has made good progress in all areas but further improvements are needed in the management of heart failure and cardiac rehabilitation. NHS Improvement is taking forward national priority projects in these areas to support the NHS.
	The publication of the NSF CHD led to this public service agreement targetto improve the health of the population by substantially reducing the mortality rates by 2010, (from the Our Healthier Nation baseline 1995-97) from heart disease and stroke related diseases by at least 40 per cent. in people under 75.
	This target was met five years ahead of schedule. Death rates from cardiovascular disease for people under age 75 are down by 44 per cent. from 1995-97 baseline, saving nearly 33,000 lives in 2007, compared to 1996.

Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 402-3W, on heart diseases: medical treatments, at which hospitals the treatment is available.

Ann Keen: holding answer 2 February 2009
	The Department does not collect this information centrally.
	We are aware of hospitals in England that have provided this treatment but we do not hold a definitive list. Hospitals include King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, London Chest Hospital, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds General Infirmary (Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust), University Hospitals of Leicester, South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust and Queen Elizabeth Hospital (University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust).

Hospital Beds

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds are available for  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) maximum security health services and (ii) medium secure mental health facilities; what proportion are occupied; and what the average occupancy in each category was in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: Data on bed availability in medium secure units are not collected centrally.
	The number of beds currently available in high secure services for men and women are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Beds currently available 
			   Number 
			 Male mental illness and personality disorder 673 
			 Learning disability 48 
			 Female mental illness and personality disorder 50 
			 Dangerous Serious Personality Disorder 108 
		
	
	Data are not held centrally on average occupancy of beds rates in each category for each of the last three years. Data available are contained in the following tables:
	
		
			  Current occupancy rates at 30 September 2008 
			  Percentage 
			 Male mental illness and personality disorder 90.6 
			 Learning disability 89.6 
			 Female mental illness and personality disorder 88 
			 Dangerous Serious Personality Disorder 83.3 
			 Overall occupancy rate 90.4 
			  Note: This excludes patients on trial leave i.e. patients who are staying in medium security as part of their progression plan. 
		
	
	
		
			   Beds  Occupancy rates (percentage 
			 September 2007 790 93.2 
			 September 2006 879 90.2 
			 December 2005 899 92.1

Measles

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of confirmed cases of measles in children aged under 18 years in  (a) London and  (b) England since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department consider that the rise in the number of confirmed cases of measles in children under 18 years of age in both London and the rest of England is a result of a decade of relatively low measles, mumps and rubella vaccination uptake. The potential exposure of a large number of unprotected children to the measles virus means that there is a real risk of a large measles epidemic.

Measles

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce differences between the regions in the number of confirmed cases of measles recorded each year;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of cases of measles in those under 18.

Dawn Primarolo: The way to reduce the number of confirmed cases of measles recorded each year is to increase the number of children vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
	Childhood immunisation is a 'tier 2 Vital Sign' which means it is a NHS priority. As such, primary care trusts (PCTs) must set targets to improve vaccination uptake and agree these with their strategic health authorities (SHAs). The SHAs, with the help of the Department, monitor the PCTs against these targets.
	In addition to the routine MMR vaccination programme, on 6 August the Department launched a MMR vaccine catchup campaign. The aim of the campaign is to immunise all children between one and 18 years of age who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated with MMR vaccine. The Department has secured additional MMR vaccine that is supplied free of charge to all PCTs. Over 5 million has been transferred to PCTs to help support this programme.
	Recently the Department sent all general practitioners (GPs) surgeries new measles leaflets and posters and updated its immunisation website to launch the MMR campaign with a new measles landing page including press lines and questions and answers for PCTs to use.
	PCTs have also received multiple alerts through various Departmental communications including the PCT Chief Executives bulletin 'the week', 'GP bulletin', 'Vaccine Update' newsletter and the Chief Medical Officer's Winter Update newsletter.
	A public relations campaign is planned to start in late February to support the MMR vaccination.
	We also underlined our commitment to immunisation by stating that immunisation is a 'right' in the NHS constitution.

Medical Treatments Abroad

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in respect of how many overseas organisations with contracts to provide services to NHS patients his Department has been informed that they have been indicted for defrauding taxpayers, patients or clinicians in their own country.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is not aware of any overseas organisations that have contracts to provide services to national health service patients which have been indicted for defrauding taxpayers, patients or clinicians in their own country. This is because the Department does not centrally collect details of arrangements entered into by local NHS organisations with overseas organisations.
	In terms of central procurements, while the Department's commercial directorate has contracted with the United Kingdom subsidiaries of a number of overseas health care organisations, it is not aware of any instances where these UK suppliers have been indicted for fraud.
	In purchasing goods and services for the NHS, the Department is subject to all European Union (EU) public procurement regulations. The regulations require that as part of due diligence, all participating organisations must complete a pre-qualification questionnaire to ensure that they are suitable to play a role in the NHS. Under the EU procurement guidelines, public bodies are required to exclude a company that has been convicted of a criminal offence or grave professional misconduct in relation to the conduct of their business. The various offences leading to mandatory exclusion are listed in regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006. The mandatory exclusion does not relate to parent companies.

MMR Vaccine

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information campaigns have been undertaken by his Department to encourage uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in each of the last five years; what expenditure his Department has incurred on such campaigns in each year; and what targets he has set for the uptake of the vaccine in the next 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: As with all vaccines, clear factual information on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is available from our information resources, such as leaflets, factsheets and the immunisation website, and through health professions working in primary care.
	In 2004 the Department collaborated with NHS London on their 'MMR capital catch-up' campaign. In August 2008 the Department issued guidance to primary care trusts (PCTs) on what actions should be taken to improve MMR uptake in their area. This initiative was supported by an information leaflet and surgery poster and on-line with a question and answer, 'Big facts' sheet and a measles infection timeline. The Department's cost for the provision of information materials was 10,000 and 8,000 respectively.
	Childhood immunisation is a 'tier 2 Vital Sign' which means it is an NHS priority. As such, PCTs must set targets to improve vaccination uptake and agree these with their strategic health authorities (SHAs). The SHAs, with the help of the Department, monitor the PCTs against these targets.

NHS Direct

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average  (a) cost and  (b) duration of a call to NHS Direct was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The average cost of a call to NHS Direct's 0845 46 47 line was 25.53 for 2007-08. This does not include other calls to services provided to national and local commissioners, e.g. calls to the appointments line (formerly the choose and book appointments line) and locally commissioned services.
	The average duration of a call to NHS Direct is 528 seconds (8 minutes 48 seconds) for the calendar year January-December 2008. This includes all calls to the 0845 46 47 line and other calls to services provided to national and local commissioners, including calls to the appointments line and locally commissioned services. The time quoted is the duration of time that a frontline staff member speaks to a patient for each call and this includes:
	calls warm transferred directly from a health adviser to a nurse;
	calls placed on a queue for a nurse or health information advisor (although time spent on the queue is not included);
	calls answered and completed by a nurse; and
	calls fully handled by a health adviser.

R. Channing Wheeler

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Mr. R. Channing Wheeler  (a) commenced and  (b) finished working in his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: Mr. Chan Wheeler joined the Department on 18 June 2007 and left its employ on 15 July 2008.

R. Channing Wheeler

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department paid to Mr. R. Channing Wheeler in remuneration and expenses for his work in his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: The remuneration package for Mr. Chan Wheeler for the financial year 2007-08 is recorded in the Department's Remuneration Report, part of the resource accounts 2007-08 which was laid before Parliament (HC 1042) and is available in the Library.
	The remuneration for Mr. Wheeler for his period of employment with the Department which falls in the financial year 2008-09 will be recorded similarly in the resource accounts 2008-09 which will be laid before Parliament later this year.

Watford Hospital

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with the proposed private finance initiative redevelopment of Watford General Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally. However, further details can be obtained from the East of England Strategic Health Authority.
	Since May 1997, 132 hospital schemes worth over 17.3 billion have been approved to proceed121 via the private finance initiative and 11 through public capital. 49 of those hospitals are already built and operational with a further 19 which have reached financial close and are now under construction.
	The target of 100 new hospital schemes by 2010 as detailed in the NHS Plan is on course to be achieved.

Wheelchairs: Waiting Lists

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average wheelchair users wait to obtain a chair with different specifications in  (a) West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust,  (b) Hemel Hempstead and  (c) Hertfordshire in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: Information about waiting times for wheelchair users is not held centrally. The collation of wheelchair information that may assist commissioning decisions is for local determination.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Compensation

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 328W, of the 38 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007 and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, what the  (a) 10th,  (b) 25th,  (c) 50th,  (d) 75th and  (e) 90th percentiles were for the amount awarded in respect of the claims that were settled by 13 January 2009; and how many of the claims had been determined by 13 January 2009.

Kevan Jones: Unfortunately Defence Analytical Services and Advice are currently unable to provide information on compensation amounts paid out to personnel that were very seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007. However, I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available.
	Of the 38 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, all have had their claims determined as at 13 January 2009.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 327-8W, of the 42 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007 and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, what the  (a) 10th,  (b) 25th,  (c) 50th,  (d) 75th and  (e) 90th percentiles were for the amount awarded in respect of the claims that were settled by 13 January 2009; and how many of the claims had been determined by 13 January 2009.

Kevan Jones: Unfortunately Defence Analytical Services and Advice are currently unable to provide information on compensation amounts paid out to personnel that were seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007. However, we will write to the hon. Member when the information is available.
	Of the 42 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, 40 have had their claims determined as at 13 January 2009.

Armed Forces: Scotland

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in discussions with the Scottish Executive on the repatriation of members of the armed forces killed in action abroad and whose families wish an inquest to take place in Scotland under the fatal accident inquiry system; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 26 January 2009
	The then Defence Secretary wrote to Kenny MacAskill MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Communications, on 27 March 2008 seeking a way forward to enable investigations to take place in Scotland into service deaths overseas. We received a response on 19 November. I wrote to Mr. MacAskill on 15 January with proposals for resolving this issue quickly. I have received a constructive reply and I hope we will now be able to find a way forward without further delay.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Operating Costs

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost per track/road mile, excluding crew costs, of operating the  (a) Warrior,  (b) Bulldog and  (c) Mastiff armoured vehicles.

Quentin Davies: The estimated cost per track kilometre, excluding crew and fuel costs, for financial year 2009-10 is as follows:
	
		
			per kilometre 
			 Warrior 104.50 
			 Bulldog 43.38 
		
	
	These costs include first and second line repair costs of equipment in the Field Army, together with equipment support costs.
	Information on operating costs for wheeled vehicles is not held in a format that would enable an estimate per kilometre to be made, therefore no costs are available for Mastiff.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence since the creation of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, how many Cypriot civilians have been forcibly resettled in the region.

Bob Ainsworth: No Cypriot civilians have ever been forcibly resettled in the sovereign base areas.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken to protect the infrastructure in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia against risks of  (a) earthquakes and  (b) adverse weather conditions.

Bob Ainsworth: Since 1992, all new buildings in the sovereign base areas (SBA) have been required to comply with the Seismic Code for Reinforced Concrete Structures in Cyprus and the European Community regulations covering buildings in areas vulnerable to the risk of earthquakes.
	Responsibility for buildings and civil infrastructure outside the SBA military camps is delegated to the Republic of Cyprus (RoC). As such, all SBA villages are included in the RoC's earthquake and disaster plan. Officials from the SBA meet twice a year with the RoC to discuss contingency plans and the provision of support in the event of a disaster.
	Officials from the SBA also participate twice a year in European Community civil protection exercises. These are hosted by the RoC and are aimed at both improving co-ordination between the relevant agencies, and ensuring the suitability of contingency plans in response to natural disasters and emergency situations on the island of Cyprus.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Royal Navy maintains a permanent presence in the Mediterranean.

Bob Ainsworth: The Royal Navy's permanent presence in the Mediterranean consists of the squadrons based in Gibraltar and Cyprus who operate two Maritime Patrol Vessels each. In addition, the Royal Navy routinely undertakes maritime security operations and NATO taskings in the region.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for the future of the medical facilities of Princess Mary's RAF Hospital at Akrotiri.

Kevan Jones: A project is currently under way to consider the future provision of secondary health care in Cyprus. A range of options is being considered. None have yet been ruled out. Final implementation is expected to take in the region of two years.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Cypriot civilians inhabiting the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Bob Ainsworth: The civilian population of the sovereign base areas (SBA) is determined by census undertaken by the Republic of Cyprus. The last census, conducted in 2001, confirmed the following figures:
	Cypriot civilians in Akrotiri: 4,329
	Cypriot civilians in Dhekelia: 2,642
	The Republic of Cyprus is due to conduct its next census in 2011.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how often he has met the Foreign Secretary in the last 12 months to discuss events in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Bob Ainsworth: In the last 12 months, the Secretary of State for Defence has not met the Foreign Secretary specifically to discuss the sovereign base areas; although they have met regularly, discussing a wide range of topics including exchanges on Cyprus.
	Both MOD and FCO maintain a keen interest in the sovereign base areas, which receive regular visits by Ministers. I visited both Akrotiri and Dhekelia in December 2008; the former Under-Secretary of State my hon. Friend the Member for Halton (Derek Twigg) visited in May 2008 and the former Secretary of State my right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Des Browne) visited in April 2007.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course.

Kevan Jones: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Defence indicates that MOD had no direct contracts with the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008. Defence agencies, top level budget areas, trading funds, joint headquarters, single service commands and individual military units may have placed locally arranged, low value contract, with the Internet Advertising Bureau. Details of these are not be held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what European Security and Defence Policy missions are in the pre-operational planning stage.

Bob Ainsworth: None.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to increase the number of its  (a) military personnel and  (b) civilian staff attached to the (i) European Union military staff and (ii) European Defence Agency.

Bob Ainsworth: We have no plans at present, but would consider opportunities as they arise and if and when resources are available.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to his Department was of providing  (a) military personnel and  (b) civilian staff attached to the (i) European Union military staff, (ii) European Defence Agency, (iii) European Union Military Committee and (iv) other EU institutions in 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: The total cost to the Department of the military personnel and MOD civilian staff attached to the European Union Military Staff, European Union Military Committee and other EU institutions was 1.9 million in 2008.
	Military personnel and MOD civilian staff attached to the European Defence Agency (EDA) are paid directly by the EDA from its functioning budget, which covers all of the operating costs of the Agency. The UK's contribution to the EDA's functioning budget was 4.1 million (3.94 million) in 2008.

EU Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 39W, on the Small Scale Focused Intervention Force, what the difference in capability between the Small Scale Focused Intervention Force and the Small Scale Contingent Battle Group is.

Bob Ainsworth: The Small Scale Contingent Battle Group can undertake the same range of tasks as the Small Scale Focused Intervention Force that it replaced.
	The unit currently undertaking this role, 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, also provides an enhanced capability for the Small Scale Contingent Battle Group to undertake air assault operations.

EU Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 20 October 2004,  Official Report, column 712W, on the Helsinki Headline Goal, what the expected maximum percentage is of troops offered by the UK under the Helsinki Headline Goal which will be infantry.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor on 20 October 2004,  Official Report, column 712W, to the hon. Member for Congleton (Ann Winterton).

Falkland Islands

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent in total by his Department on operations in the Falkland Islands in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 2 February 2009
	In each of the last five years the costs to the Chief of Joint Operations, who is responsible for maintaining UK forces in the Falkland Islands, are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost ( million) 
			 2003-04 110.6 
			 2004-05 113.1 
			 2005-06 143.3 
			 2006-07 65.0 
			 2007-08 67.4 
		
	
	The reason for the much lower figures in the most recent years is because, as a consequence of a change in MOD accounting policy, the Chief of Joint Operations is no longer responsible for reporting fixed asset depreciation costs and the cost of capital on fixed assets.

Future Rapid Effect System

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's expenditure to date has been on each variant on the Future Rapid Effect System programme; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: As at the end of December 2008, expenditure on the FRES programme, inclusive of VAT was as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 Utility vehicle (UV) 133 
			 Specialist vehicles (SV) 25 
			 Total spend 158

Injured Personnel

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding his Department makes available to service personnel injured on operations.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 2 February 2009
	Service personnel injured due to service on or after 6 April 2005, including those injured due to service while on operations, receive compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). This provides both a tax-free lump sum payment of up to 570,000 that can be paid during service, and for the more seriously injured a Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP), which is tax-free, index-linked and payable from discharge for the rest of their life. The total compensation received can therefore exceed 1 million.
	The War Pension Scheme (WPS) provides compensation and a range of allowances to service personnel disabled as a result of their service, up to and including 5 April 2005, payable after discharge. These include a basic war disablement pension based on the degree of disablement, supplementary allowances and allowances for dependents.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 35W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of co-operation between his Department and the Department for International Development during Operation Telic One.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 876W.

Legal Opinion

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of external legal services provided to his Department in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: Specific data on the expenditure by the MOD on external legal fees in each of the last five years are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Merlin Helicopters

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of Merlin helicopters have been fit for service in each year since 2003.

Quentin Davies: holding answer 2 February 2009
	I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Minesweepers: Research

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department receives information on the work and research of the US Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The MOD regularly exchanges information on work and research with its allies to the mutual benefit of all parties. As part of continuing successful coalition operations, MOD discusses such topics with the US.

Morocco: Joint Exercises

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1301W, on Morocco: armed forces, for what reason a news article of 24 October 2008 on his Department's website on training and adventure states that a joint exercise had taken place partly in the Atlas Mountains and partly in the Western Sahara.

Bob Ainsworth: The Defence intranet site and the MOD internet site contained an article which reported British forces and the Royal Gibraltar Regiment training in Morocco. More specifically it referred to training in the Western Sahara. This article was ambiguous: all training was conducted within Morocco, including areas in the western Sahara desert, not in Western Sahara. The article has been amended to remove this ambiguity. It remains the case that British armed forces do not conduct military activity in Western Sahara, the status of which has yet to be determined by the UN.

Netherlands: Military Exercises

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many joint training exercises involving the UK and the Netherlands were conducted in support of the UK/Netherlands Amphibious Landing Force in 2008; and how many are planned for 2009.

Bob Ainsworth: There have been three joint training exercises in support of the UK/Netherlands amphibious landing force in 2008. There is one joint training exercise planned for 2009.

Personal Protective Equipment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to improve the standard of personal protective equipment issued to service personnel.

Quentin Davies: holding answer 2 February 2009
	 The need to improve personal protection in response to developing threats is continually assessed. Further improvements to body armour and helmets are being developed and are planned to be introduced later this year. In the longer term, the Personal Equipment and Common Operational Clothing (PECOC) programme, which is currently in its assessment phase, will deliver further upgrades to items of personal protective equipment.

Service Personnel: Fitness for Duty

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence How many  (a) officers and  (b) personnel in other ranks in each regular infantry and Royal Marine battalion were unfit for duty at the latest date for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 2 February 2009
	 Unfit for duty has been interpreted as medically unfit to perform any duty. Personnel unfit for duty in their primary role but who can perform a role in an alternative capacity are not included in the following tables.
	The figures given include personnel filling all roles within each battalion, not just infantrymen. Separate figures for officers and soldiers are not held centrally.
	As at 1 December 2008, the figures requested for the infantry were:
	
		
			  Div  Unit  Number of personnel unfit for duty 
			 Guards 1 Grenadier Gds 5 
			  1 Coldstream Gds 0 
			  1 Scots Guards 5 
			  1 Irish Guards 7 
			  1 Welsh Guards 5 
			
			 Scots 1 Scots 2 
			  2 Scots 4 
			  3 Scots 2 
			  4 Scots 28 
			  5 Scots 13 
			
			 Queens 1 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 4 
			  2 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 8 
			  1 Royal Regt Fusiliers 6 
			  2 Royal Regt Fusiliers 32 
			  1 Royal Anglian 4 
			  2 Royal Anglian 1 
			
			 Kings 1 Lancs 11 
			  2 Lancs 4 
			  1 Yorks 9 
			  2 Yorks 1 
			  3 Yorks 4 
			
			 PoW 1 Mercian 0 
			  2 Mercian 3 
			  3 Mercian 8 
			  1 Royal Welsh 4 
			  2 Royal Welsh 13 
			
			 Rifles 1 Rifles (1)0 
			  2 Rifles 11 
			  3 Rifles 2 
			  4 Rifles 2 
			  5 Rifles 0 
			
			 RI 1 Royal Irish 11 
			
			 Para 2 Para 30 
			  3 Para 0 
			
			 RGR 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles 8 
			  2 Royal Gurkha Rifles 0 
			 (1) 1 Rifles data are as at 29 January 2009. 
		
	
	In addition, there are three incremental guards companies that are primarily for public duties but can also be used to augment the other guards battalions as required:
	
		
			  Unit  Number of personnel unfit for duty 
			 N Coy Grenadier Gds 0 
			 7 Coy Coldstream Gds 0 
			 F Coy Scots Gds 0 
		
	
	As at 29 January 2009, the figures for the Royal Marines Commando Units were:
	
		
			  Unit  Number of personnel unit for duty 
			 40 Cdo RM 0 
			 42 Cdo RM 0 
			 45 Cdo RM 3

Somalia: Piracy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many force generation conferences have there been for Operation Atalanta; and how many are planned.

Bob Ainsworth: There has been one force generation conference for Operation Atalanta. Any future force generation conferences will be called as required but none are currently planned.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-UK owned or operated unmanned aerial vehicles transited through UK airspace in 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: There were no non-UK owned or operated unmanned aerial vehicle transits through UK airspace in 2008.

TRANSPORT

Aircraft and Shipping: Safety

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many safety inspections have been carried out on ( a) aircraft at airports and  (b) ships in port in each of the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) carried out 594 inspections of foreign aircraft at UK airports in 2008. These inspections are carried out on behalf of the Department for Transport and form part of the European Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft programme. The number of inspections conducted each month was:
	
		
			   Number of SAFA inspections January to December 2008 
			 January 28 
			 February 71 
			 March 10 
			 April 55 
			 May 80 
			 June 53 
			 July 68 
			 August 56 
			 September 44 
			 October 74 
			 November 36 
			 December 19 
			 Total 594 
		
	
	The CAA's Airworthiness Division also carried out approximately 900 safety inspections on UK registered aircraft during 2008. These inspections were carried out at maintenance organisations as well as at airports and formed part of a pre-planned monitoring programme that is applied to each UK aircraft owner or operator. The inspections varied in depth and scope between a simple 'in service' ramp inspection through to a more in depth inspection during maintenance.
	In addition, the CAA's Flight Operations Division has a system of planned audits of UK commercial operators which includes inspections of aeroplanes at airports. There were approximately 129 such inspections evenly spread throughout 2008. A further 20 inspections were specifically conducted on UK cargo aircraft.
	Details of these inspections are not recorded centrally and therefore providing either an exact number of inspections or the months in which they took place would incur disproportionate cost.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency carries out inspections to check safety standards and living conditions on UK and dependent territory ships, as well as port state control inspections for foreign ships visiting UK ports. Over the last 12 months we have carried out the following number of targeted inspections and port state control inspections.
	
		
			  2008  Number of targeted inspections on UK and dependent territory Ships (inspected in the UK)  Port state control inspections for foreign ships visiting UK ports 
			 January 36 174 
			 February 15 172 
			 March 22 134 
			 April 19 153 
			 May 19 132 
			 June 26 142 
			 July 16 112 
			 August 19 134 
			 September 18 175 
			 October 17 182 
			 November 11 149 
			 December 15 161 
			 Total 233 1820

Airports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the National Policy Statement on airports to be published  (a) in draft and  (b) in its final form.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have yet to take decisions on the timetable for preparing a national policy statement (NPS) on airports, but it is expected to be published in draft by 2011. The draft NPS will then be subject to public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny as set out in the Planning Act 2008 before it can be formally designated.

Aviation: EU Action

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions  (a) have taken place and  (b) are planned to take place within the EU on widening the responsibility of the European Aviation Safety Agency; whether any discussions (i) have taken place and (ii) are planned to take place in the EU on Annex II to EC Regulation 216/2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In June 2008 the European Commission published a regulatory proposal to extend the European Aviation Safety Agency's competence to cover the safety of aerodromes, air navigation service providers and air traffic management.
	Negotiations on the proposal began in the technical working group of the council in July 2008 and are ongoing. The proposal was discussed at the Transport Council in December where Ministers agreed a partial general approach on articles concerning air navigation services, air traffic management and the proposal's application to the military.
	We understand that EASA, as part of a review into the regulation of light aircraft, may recommend future changes to Annex II.

Aviation: Risk Assessment

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what risk registers  (a) are in use and  (b) have been in use in the last two years in relation to projects within his Department's Aviation Directorate; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 2 February 2009
	 The Department's aviation directorate regularly uses risk registers to monitor all of its strategic projects. The directorate also uses risk registers to monitor non-strategic projects and business as usual activities relating to regulatory issues, airport capacity and operations, aviation and the environment, and aviation safety.

Aviation: Type Approval

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Civil Aviation Authority first received an application for the ELA O-7 gyroplane to be approved for use in UK airspace; what the reasons for the time taken to consider the application are; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The CAA received an application for the validation of the Spanish certification of the ELA 07 gyroplane in April 2006. As part of the certification process the CAA had consulted the Spanish authorities on the differences between the Spanish and UK airworthiness codes for gyroplanes. Significant differences between the codes were identified. As a result, the CAA have been involved in discussions with the Spanish authorities and ELA, the manufacturer of the gyroplane, with a view to agreeing and approving the modification necessary to meet the UK requirements. The CAA last met with the Spanish authorities and the manufacturer in October 2008. All of the follow up action from that meeting rests with ELA. ELA has requested the CAA not to do any additional work on the validation until ELA and the Spanish authorities have agreed the way forward.

Coaches: Disabled

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to increase the accessibility of national and international coach travel to people with a disability.

Paul Clark: The Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations apply to all buses and coaches with more than 22 passenger seats operating to a published timetable. The Regulations require all buses to comply from the year 2015 to 2017 (depending on the type of bus) and 2020 for coaches used on scheduled services.
	The European Commission have recently made proposals, relating to bus and coach passenger rights. The Department for Transport will be considering this in due course.

Crossrail Line

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the risk of contamination from  (a) bubonic plague,  (b) anthrax and  (c) other biological agents as a consequence of the possible disturbance of burial grounds during the construction of the Crossrail project.

Paul Clark: Crossrail, in common with all other major projects, has been the subject of a comprehensive environmental impact assessment. A significant part of this was the investigation of archaeological remains, including burial grounds, along the route. This investigation was carried out by the Museum of London Archaeological Services. Although there are a number of burial grounds on the route, this is not generally an issue where the running tunnels are at some depth underground. There are issues, however, at the stations where excavation must of necessity be carried out from ground level.
	Only one site was identified where this issue may arise. This is at the eastern end of the Farringdon station adjacent to the eastern end of the Smithfield meat market. A trial pit will be excavated as soon as Crossrail has obtained possession of the site, and the appropriate testing will be carried out. The techniques for dealing with these matters are well understood by archaeologists and the necessary specialist advice will be taken.
	This matter was discussed at some length in the House of Lords Select Committee on the Crossrail Bill and subsequently with Lord James of Blackheath who was a member of the Committee. In the event that any contaminated remains are found these will be dealt with in the appropriate manner as set out in guidance from Government, English Heritage and the ecclesiastical authorities.

Cycling: Accidents

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on the  (a) rate and  (b) severity of cyclist casualties of legal requirements for cyclists to wear helmets.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The evidence indicates that cycle helmets provide protective benefits in the event of a collision and therefore prevent and reduce injuries. Research suggests that between one third and one half of pedal cycle casualties attending hospital sustained an injury to the head or face. (See DfT Road Safety Research Report Number.30.)
	However, we do not know how many head injuries may have been prevented or reduced had the cyclist been wearing a helmet, since we do not know what level of protection is offered in different types of accidents.
	The Department has recently commissioned a new research project-looking at a range of road safety and cycling issues. This is now under way and is being undertaken by a consortium led by TRL and including MVA, ITS Leeds, Simon Christmas Ltd, SHM and Arup. It will examine the following topics:
	Road user safety and cycling data
	Cycling infrastructure
	Attitudes and behaviours of cyclists and other road users
	Bicycle helmets, including an updated evaluation of their effectiveness.
	The research project as a whole is likely to be three years in duration, but we are aiming to complete the review of cycle helmet effectiveness by the end of 2009.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Dartford River Crossing DART tags have been issued  (a) in total and  (b) to businesses since 1 November 2008.

Paul Clark: The number of Dart-Tags issued between 1 November 2008 and 26 January 2009 was 25,022, including tags for use in the local resident discount scheme. There are no records on the division of tags between personal and business users.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in his Department's buildings in the last 12 months.

Geoff Hoon: The spend on Ministers' offices in the last 12 months was 17,332. Most of this was spent on installing energy efficient lighting mechanisms and will be offset by lower running costs.

Departmental Consultants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of his Department' contracts with management consultants was in each of the last five years.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 386-87W, given to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien).

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which ICT projects initiated by his Department were abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred on each project; who the contractors were; what the date of  (a) commencement and  (b) abandonment was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport does not hold centrally collected records on all ICT projects carried out by the central Department and its seven executive agencies. Available information shows that the following ICT projects were abandoned before completion since the Department was formed in 2002.
	
		
			  Project  Start date  End date  Supplier  Cost () 
			  Central DFT 
			 Integration of an Electronic document and records management system June 2003 October 2004 BT 854,000 
			  
			  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 
			 Tracking Vehicles Through The Trade (TV3T) June 2005 June 2007 IBM 7,900,000 
			 Electronic Licensing for Fleets (ELF) December 2006 June 2007 IBM 270,000 
			  
			  Highways Agency 
			 Correspondence document management system September 2000 August 2003 Admiral 228,000 
			  
			  Driving Standards Agency 
			 Self Service Kiosks in Practical Test Centres September 2007 March 2008 In-house 0 
			 ADLI phase 4 April 2005 May 2006 Capita 37,000 
		
	
	None of the other four executive agencies had ICT projects abandoned before completion.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what websites his Department has operated other than its main departmental website over the last five years; and what the operating budget for those websites was;
	(2)  what websites his Department operates apart from its main departmental website; and what the operating budget for each of those websites is in 2008-09.

Geoff Hoon: Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House showing websites operated over the last five years and their operating costs. Total operating costs are not yet available for the current financial year.
	Where annual operating costs are not available this is due to a number of reasons; either the site has only recently been available and costs are only applicable for the current financial year; the costs are part of a much larger contract and cannot be itemised; or the costs cannot be calculated without incurring disproportionate costs. Figures provided do not include staff costs.
	The Department for Transport intends to measure website costs in line with the proposed guidance issued by the Central Office of Information, 'Measuring website costs (TG128)', starting from the financial year 2009-10.

Departmental Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to advise staff of pension options available to them in relation to added years or additional voluntary contributions.

Geoff Hoon: Information is made available to staff on added pension, additional voluntary contributions, and stakeholder pensions by the following means:
	(a) all new staff are provided with a scheme booklet on pension choices when they join the Department;
	(b) all staff in the scheme are provided with an annual pension statement which details the current and projected value and provides information about ways of boosting their pension;
	(c) the Department's intranet and staff handbook provide information about the pension scheme and a link to the scheme website where more information is available;
	(d) the Department's pension team provides a pensions helpline for all pension enquiries including information about ways of boosting pension.

Departmental Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of his Department's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each of the last five years.

Geoff Hoon: The Department was formed in May 2002 and figures for the 2002-03 financial year could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The cost of public relations consultancies for the last five complete financial years is as follows:
	
		
			   000 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 DFT Central 214 253 255 362 625 
			 DSA 0 0 0 0 0 
			 DVLA 257 347 872 371 500 
			 HA 0 0 0 0 0 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 26 27 
			 MCA 60 51 73 79 53 
			 VCA 0 0 0 0 0 
			 GCDA 0 0 0 0 0

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 835W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008.

Geoff Hoon: Other Ministers in the Department for Transport have taken the following training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008: induction and action learning set.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in the provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Geoff Hoon: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport and its agencies operate a flexible working system where staff participating may accrue a credit balance of more than their conditioned hours. Time off in lieu can be granted by line managers to staff who have accrued additional hours.
	Line managers may formally agree in advance that staff carry out essential work outside contracted hours attracting time off in lieu or overtime.
	All working arrangements must comply with the working time regulations, such as taking appropriate minimum break during the working day.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available.

Geoff Hoon: This information is not available.

Departmental Written Questions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of 700.

Geoff Hoon: Separate records of these occasions are not kept and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has a statutory duty to issue an acknowledgement letter following receipt of a statutory off road notification or notice of a change of owner; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is under no statutory obligation to issue acknowledgement letters. However, the DVLA is committed to sending all customers an acknowledgement letter. Upon receipt of a statutory off road notification (SORN) or disposal notification, an acknowledgement is automatically generated and sent to the keeper of the vehicle.

Driving Tests

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people  (a) took and  (b) passed their driving test in (i) Ribble Valley, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the UK in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 2 February 2009
	There are no driving test centres within the Ribble Valley.
	The number of driving tests conducted by the Driving Standards Agency in Lancashire and where the result was a pass in each of the last five years for car, motorcycle, lorry and bus categories are:
	
		
			   Overall 
			   Conducted  Passed  Percentage pass 
			  Car
			 2007-08 38,149 17,889 46.9 
			 2006-07 40,271 17,987 44.7 
			 2005-06 41,616 18,138 43.6 
			 2004-05 37,768 15,553 41.2 
			 2003-04 31,661 13,300 42.0 
			 
			  Bike
			 2007-08 2,380 1,605 67.4 
			 2006-07 2,115 1,380 65.2 
			 2005-06 2,345 1,448 61.7 
			 2004-05 2,432 1,535 63.1 
			 2003-04 2,502 1,601 64.0 
			 
			  Lorry
			 2007-08 2,060 1,068 51.8 
			 2006-07 2,232 1,156 51.8 
			 2005-06 2,519 1,275 50.6 
			 2004-05 2,415 1,222 50.6 
			 2003-04 2,250 1,197 53.2 
			 
			  Bus
			 2007-08 220 134 60.9 
			 2006-07 230 139 60.4 
			 2005-06 265 141 53.2 
			 2004-05 258 131 50.8 
			 2003-04 314 166 52.9 
		
	
	The Driving Standards Agency is responsible for conducting driving tests within Great Britain. The Driver and Vehicle Agency is responsible for driving tests conducted within Northern Ireland. The number of driving tests taken and passed in Great Britain over the last five years for car, motorcycle, lorry and bus categories are:
	
		
			   Overall 
			   Conducted  Passed  Percentage pass 
			  Car
			 2007-08 1,769,860 783,632 44.3 
			 2006-07 1,789,885 776,329 43.4 
			 2005-06 1,827,381 777,817 42.6 
			 2004-05 1,670,302 707,018 42.3 
			 2003-04 1,399,385 598,347 42.8 
			 
			  Lorry
			 2007-08 70,766 32,779 46.3 
			 2006-07 78,140 36,119 46.2 
			 2005-06 88,815 40,247 45.3 
			 2004-05 79,431 36,935 46.5 
			 2003-04 66,832 32,598 48.8 
			 
			  Bike
			 2007-08 87,962 58,520 66.5 
			 2006-07 77,007 50,112 65.1 
			 2005-06 80,162 51,051 63.7 
			 2004-05 77,897 50,063 64.3 
			 2003-04 83,451 53,789 64.5 
			 
			  Bus
			 2007-08 10,331 5,203 50.4 
			 2006-07 9,922 4,602 46.4 
			 2005-06 11,698 5,210 44.5 
			 2004-05 12,251 5,369 43.8 
			 2003-04 10,083 4,591 45.5 
		
	
	Car driving tests conducted in Northern Ireland are shown in the following table. Data for other categories are unavailable.
	
		
			   Overall 
			   Conducted  Passed  Percentage pass 
			 2007-08 61,298 27,584 45 
			 2006-07 61,173 28,751 47 
			 2005-06 57,264 28,059 49 
			 2004-05 41,547 19,942 48 
			 2003-04 47,022 22,100 47

Driving Under Influence

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government spent on campaigns against drink-driving in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Directly attributable marketing expenditure on the THINK! Don't Drink And Drive campaign was 3.6 million in the 2007-08 financial year. Nearly 3 million of this was on advertising across a wide range of media in June and December to coincide with police enforcement campaigns.

Driving: Licensing

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that people are aware that photocard driving licences need to be renewed every 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Photocard licence holders are sent a personalised renewal reminder two months in advance of the date of expiry of their photograph.

Driving: Licensing

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on regular health checks for holders of driving licences; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have had no such discussions.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date the euro changeover plan of  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies was last updated; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of each plan.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport and its agencies last updated their euro changeover plans in September 2006. A number of technological and structural changes have taken place since then and would need to be revisited before the plans could be published. The costs of updating the plans for publication would be disproportionate. The Department and its agencies will however review their plans at a later date.

Freight

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) volume and  (b) weight of freight was transported within the UK by (i) road, (ii) rail, (iii) inland water, (iv) coastal water and (v) pipeline in each year since 2001.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Domestic freight transport by mode is available in table 4.1 in the publication Transport Statistics Great Britain 2008 Edition. This is available on the DfT website at the following link:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/2008edition/
	Summary tables is provided as follows:
	
		
			  Domestic freight transport by mode, Great Britain, goods lifted 
			  Million tonnes 
			   Road  Rail( 1)  Coastwise traffic between UK ports  One-port traffic of UK ports( 2)  Inland waters traffic  Pipeline  Total 
			 2001 1,682 94 59 35 38 151 2,058 
			 2002 1,734 87 60 44 36 146 2,106 
			 2003 1,753 89 59 39 35 141 2,116 
			 2004 1,863 100 60 35 33 158 2,248 
			 2005 1,868 105 65 32 35 168 2,275 
			 2006 1,940 108 58 31 38 159 2,333 
			 2007 2,001 102 59 29 38 146 2,376 
		
	
	
		
			  Domestic freight transport by mode, Great Britain, goods  moved 
			  Billion  tonne  kilometres 
			   Road  Rail( 1)  Coastwise traffic between UK ports  One-port traffic of UK ports( 2)  Inland waters traffic  Pipeline  Total 
			 2001 159 19 34 23 1 12 248 
			 2002 159 19 35 31 1 11 256 
			 2003 162 19 33 26 1 11 252 
			 2004 163 20 35 23 1 11 253 
			 2005 163 22 39 20 1 11 257 
			 2006 167 22 32 18 1 11 251 
			 2007 173 21 35 15 1 10 255 
			 (1) Rail data are based on financial years (2001-02 etc.). (2) Traffic to and from UK offshore installations and sea dredging.

Government Car and Despatch Agency: Disciplinary Proceedings

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times a written warning has been issued to a member of staff of the Government Car and Dispatch Agency following misuse of the Government procurement card since January 2006.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 29 January 2009
	Two formal written warnings have so far been issued by the Government Car and Despatch Agency to two of its employees about their misuse of the Government Procurement Card.

Heathrow Airport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Statement of 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 358, on transport infrastructure, when he plans to lift the cap of 125,000 on the number of additional flights permitted at Heathrow Airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have made it clear that our support for a third runway is subject to an aggregate limit of 605,000 annual movements, to be reviewed in 2020. That review will take account of a number of factors, as set out in the Adding Capacity at HeathrowDecisions following consultation document which can be found on the Department's website. It follows that, until that review, it is not possible to anticipate whether of not the cap might be lifted or the timing of any decision to lift the cap, subject to planning approval.

Heathrow Airport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which models of plane will qualify to use the green landing slots at Heathrow Airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As stated in the document Adding Capacity at Heathrow - Decisions Following Consultation the Department intends to consult on the green slots approach to additional capacity at Heathrow. Details of how 'green slots' will work will be developed in the consultation process which is expected to begin later in 2009. It is the Government's intention that green slots will incentivise the use of the most modern aircraft available at the time.

Heathrow Airport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of additional passengers using Heathrow Airport each year which would result from an increase of 125,000 in the number of flight movements from the airport each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts 2009, page 131, shows the forecast passenger demand for Heathrow under several scenarios, including a third runway with an additional 125,000 air transport movements (ATMs) per year. This is available at the following link:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/atf/co2forecasts09/
	The number of additional passengers in 2030, compared to a base case of no third runway at Heathrow and Stansted second runway in 2015, is 28 million.
	Forecasts of additional passengers from the opening of a third runway in 2015 up to 2030 are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			   Additional passengers (Million) 
			 2015 0 
			 2020 17 
			 2025 23 
			 2030 28 
			  Note: This assumes that Stansted second runway (2015 opening) in the base case.

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) meetings and  (b) correspondence on Heathrow expansion (i) he, (ii) other Ministers in his Department and (iii) officials in his Department, have had in an official capacity with representatives from (A) BAA, (B) trades unions, (C) airlines using Heathrow, (D) other corporate bodies and (E) residents from communities affected by Heathrow expansion, since 3 October 2008; when each meeting took place; who attended each meeting; and what the subject of each meeting was.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 29 January 2009
	Since October 2008, Ministers and officials have not met BAA, trade unions, airlines using Heathrow, corporate stakeholders or residents around Heathrow to discuss Heathrow airport development issues.
	The Department has received a high number of letters about Heathrow airport from local residents during this period and two from the Chief Executive of BAA. The first one on 28 November 2008 concerned the monitoring of the environmental impacts of expansion of Heathrow airport, the second one, dated 16 January 2009, related to the Secretary of State's decisions on Heathrow which he announced to Parliament on 15 January 2009.

Heathrow Airport: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether the Government plans to provide guarantees in relation to the financing of construction of a third runway at Heathrow;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of construction of a third runway at Heathrow.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 28 January 2009
	 The Government will not be providing guarantees for the financing of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow. The financing of new infrastructure at Heathrow airport is a matter for the airport operator, subject to economic regulation.
	Heathrow is a designated airport for the purposes of price control. These controls are set by the independent regulator the Civil Aviation Authority. Part IV of the 1986 Airports Act requires the CAA, when setting price controls, to (among other things)
	'encourage investment in new facilities at airports in time to satisfy anticipated demands by the users of such airports.'

Heathrow Airport: National Policy Statements

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to publish a national policy statement on expansion of Heathrow Airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have stated our intention to publish a national policy statement on airports based on the Air Transport White Paper, which satisfies the requirements set out in the Planning Act.

Heathrow Airport: Planning Permission

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether a planning application for a third runway at Heathrow would fall to be decided by the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The decision to submit a planning application for a third runway at Heathrow and the timing of such an application are matters for the airport operator. The Government envisage that the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) will be established and able to start giving advice to potential applicants this autumn and ready to begin receiving applications from spring 2010. Whether or not the IPC would act as the decision maker on such an application is also dependent on the availability of a designated national policy statement on airports, which is planned for publication in draft by 2011.

Humber Bridge: Tolls

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue has been generated by tolls on the Humber Bridge in each year since its opening; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The following table sets out the revenue generated by tolls on the Humber Bridge each year since its opening in 1982.
	
		
			  Humber Bridge toll income 
			  Financial year ended  31 March :   
			 1982 3,182,632 
			 1983 4,143,464 
			 1984 4,476,913 
			 1985 4,810,129 
			 1986 5,350,985 
			 1987 6,589,507 
			 1988 7,453,600 
			 1989 8,820,175 
			 1990 9,658,526 
			 1991 10,353,960 
			 1992 10,937,157 
			 1993 11,228,919 
			 1994 11,913,017 
			 1995 12,158,380 
			 1996 12,389,582 
			 1997 12,679,463 
			 1998 14,169,400 
			 1999 16,682,260 
			 2000 17,533,710 
			 2001 17,490,660 
			 2002 17,921,980 
			 2003 18,519,810 
			 2004 19,306,480 
			 2005 20,244,280 
			 2006 20,394,690 
			 2007 21,437,750 
			 2008(1) 21,755,730 
			 Total 341,603,159 
			 (1) Subject to audit.

Humber Bridge: Tolls

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of people exempt from Humber Bridge tolls; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: There are 11,500 individuals registered for exemption from tolls at the Humber Bridge.

Humber Bridge: Tolls

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the merits of holding an inquiry into the application to revise tolls charged at the south bank of the River Humber; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The inquiry will open at 10 am on 3 March 2009 at the Willerby Manor hotel, Hull. The location is a matter for the Humber Bridge Board.

Local Government: Transport

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage local authorities to include plans to improve urban design and regeneration in their next local transport plans.

Paul Clark: A consultation on the draft Local Transport Plan (LTP) guidance for 2011 onwards was published on 18 December 2008. The guidance sets out the importance of the Department for Transport's strategy, 'Delivering a Sustainable Transport System' (DaSTS), in providing a framework for LTPs. Good urban design and regeneration are important elements in addressing the goals set out in DaSTS, particularly those on Quality of Life and Equality of Opportunity, respectively. We would expect local authorities appropriately to address these issues in their local transport plans.
	On urban design, local authorities have been directed towards key policy documents and best practice in the Policy and Best Practice Handbook, published alongside the consultation.
	On regeneration, the Department continues to work closely with colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government to align local transport planning with the emerging regeneration framework.
	LTP guidance is out for consultation until 9 April 2009. The Department would welcome any comments to consider for full guidance, which we expect to publish in summer 2009.

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of his Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each of the last five years.

Geoff Hoon: The following table lists organisations that provided media monitoring services to the Department for Transport in each of the last three financial years and the cost. Comparable information for 2003-04 and 2004/05 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   000 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 DFT(C) 296.1 313.0 336.0 
			 DSA 17.0 18.0 20.0 
			 DVLA 1.4 1.4 1.4 
			 GCDA
			 HA 48.1 67.7 90.3 
			 MCA 65.4 100.0 105.9 
			 VCA   3.0 
			 VOSA

Merseyrail: Park and Ride

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many park and ride spaces serving the Merseyrail network there were in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. Full details of station parking facilities are on the Merseyrail website at:
	http://www.merseyrail.org
	or are available from Merseyrail, Rail House, Lord Nelson Street, Liverpool L1.1JF.
	Merseytravel is undertaking improvements to and expansion of park and ride services across Merseyside as part of its local transport plan.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requirement there is for insurance of vehicles in storage or under repair and declared under statutory off-road notifications regulations.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 2 February 2009
	 Current legislation requires compulsory motor insurance against third party risk for the use of a vehicle on a road or other public place. There is no statutory requirement to insure vehicles in private storage or under repair and declared under statutory off-road notification (SORN).
	We are consulting on proposals for a Continuous Insurance Enforcement scheme. Under the proposed scheme it would be an offence to keep a vehicle which has no valid insurance unless there is in place a valid SORN declaration. Those potentially uninsured will be identified by frequent comparison of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's vehicle register and the motor insurance industry's database.

Newhaven Marine Railway Station

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date the last passenger train departed Newhaven Harbour Marine station.

Paul Clark: A passenger train service is still operating from Newhaven Marine station, but due to safety concerns at the station information is available advising passengers that they may call Southern's customer service team to arrange a replacement taxi or they may wish to walk the three minutes north to Newhaven Harbour station to catch alternative services.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restrictions exist on how local authorities may spend money raised from  (a) on-street parking charges and  (b) parking fines.

Paul Clark: Income from on-street parking charges and all penalty charges must only be used in accordance with section 55 (as amended) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act (RTRA) 1984.

Pedestrian Crossings

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes have been made to the guidance issued by his Department to local highways authorities on the design of pedestrian crossings since 2005.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport have not published any new or updated guidance on pedestrian crossings since 2005.
	Guidance on the design of stand-alone pedestrian crossings (zebras, pelicans and puffins) is given in Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/95 The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings, and LTN 2/95 The Design of Pedestrian Crossings. These are available free from the DFT website at
	www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/ltnotes/.
	Guidance on the design of pedestrian facilities at traffic signal junctions is given in Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/05 Pedestrian Facilities at Signal-Controlled Junctions, published in 2005. This is also available free on the DFT website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tal/.

Public Transport

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he is making on increasing integration of public transport  (a) timetables and  (b) ticketing.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is working with the industry to increase integration across different modes of public transport.
	The Department's online journey planner, Transport Direct:
	www.transportdirect.info
	provides comprehensive travel information and integrated journey plans for both public transport and car.
	National Rail Enquiries also have a lead role in providing comprehensive timetabling information. They are currently updating their data to assist the public in planning their journey to and from the station, including adding timetable information for other modes of transport.
	Station Travel Plans aim to provide the best access options to the station. The 24 pilot schemes currently running will consider rescheduling timetables to ensure better integration of public transport services.
	The Department is also working with the industry to support this and other initiatives in integration across different modes of public transport.
	Work is under way on an integrated ticketing strategy for England. This will cover buses, trains, coaches, taxis and parking and the intention is to publish a consultation paper in the late spring. Officials are currently meeting informally with key stakeholders to inform development of the consultation paper. However, there are a considerable number of integrated tickets already available. These include multi-modal tickets such as Travelcards in London, the, 'Kangaroo Ticket' in Nottingham and 'PlusBus', which provides a simple add-on bus option to rail tickets at either or both ends of a journey.

Railway Stations: Closures

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many manned railway stations have been permanently closed in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: The following stations in England have closed in each of the last five years (closures in Scotland and Wales are a devolved matter):
	
		
			   Station 
			 2004 None 
			 2005 Etruria 
			 2006 Garston 
			  Silvertown 
			  North Woolwich 
			  West Ham, Canning Town, Custom House and Stratford Low Level(1) 
			 2007 King's Cross Thameslink 
			 2008 None 
			 (1) National Rail platforms closed as part of the new DLR line from Stratford International to Canning Town.

Railway Stations: Merseyside

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to improve standards of  (a) seating,  (b) shelter and  (c) passenger facilities at rail stations in Merseyside.

Paul Clark: Stations in Merseyside are eligible for funding from the national stations improvement programme (NSIP) and the access for all programme. In particular, the national stations improvement programme can be used to provide improved seating, shelters and passenger facilities. On 23 January, the Minister of State opened the newly refurbished Sandhills station, which benefited from funding under the access for all programme.

Railways: Fares

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to require the Association of Train Operating Companies to introduce railcards for persons over 25 years of age for train journeys  (a) commencing and  (b) ending outside South East England; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Government have no present proposals to require the Association of Train Operating Companies to introduce any additional railcards on the National Rail network.

Railways: Finance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has allocated for new railway infrastructure in each year since 1997 and in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Paul Clark: Network Rail is responsible for investing in the majority of new railway infrastructure in the United Kingdom. The company is funded through a combination of direct grants from Government and track access charges levied on train operators.
	Details of Government expenditure on the railway as a whole, as well as investment in rail by the rail industry are set out in National Rail Trends, which is published by the Office of Rail Regulation. Copies of National Rail Trends are available in the Library of the House and on the ORR's website at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk
	Details of the Government's plans for future investment in the railway years are set out in the White Paper Delivering a Sustainable Railway, which was published and announced to Parliament on 24 July 2007. This can be found on the Department for Transport website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/whitepapercm7176/hitepapersustainablerailway1.pdf.

Railways: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to establish a regional rail budget to allow local transport authorities to  (a) re-open closed rail stations and  (b) open new rail stations.

Paul Clark: There are no proposals to establish a regional rail budget. Regions can consider investment in rail schemes alongside other transport schemes when determining priorities in the use of their regional funding allocation (RFA).

Railways: Merseyside

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the average level of ridership on rail services in Merseyside in each of the last two years.

Paul Clark: Statistics on rail passenger numbers are published by the Office of Rail Regulation (QRR) in the National Rail Trends Yearbook, which is available in the House Library, or from the ORR website:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk

Railways: Merseyside

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of trains in Merseyside ran no more than five minutes late in the last 12 months.

Paul Clark: In the last 12 months, 94.7 per cent. of trains operated by Merseyrail were no more than five minutes late at their destination.
	Other companies provide train services in this area, but the Department for Transport does not hold information specific to Merseyside for these operators.

Railways: Standards

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent assessment is of the performance of train operating companies against their targets; and if will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The public performance measure of rail punctuality has risen to 90.8 per cent. in January 2009, up 1.6 per cent. in only a year. Performance is now at its best since this measure was introduced in 2000-01.
	Train operators' franchise agreements contain minimum performance standards, and actual results compared with these are monitored on a regular basis.

Railways: Yorkshire and the Humber

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which train service on the  (a) Trans-Pennine and  (b) Northern network was the most overcrowded in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.

Roads: Accidents

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has issued on the procedure to be followed by  (a) police forces in England and Wales and  (b) prosecutors in England and Wales in seeking to obtain access to data stored on vehicle data recording devices when investigating the causes of road traffic collisions; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has issued no guidance concerning access to data stored in vehicle data recording devices whether for accident investigation or any other purpose.
	The fitting and use of electronic data recorders was the subject of debate during the passage of the Road Safety Bill.
	Calls for data recorders were not adopted into the Road Safety Bill. It was noted that the subject was under discussion in the international arena and Government believed that this was the most appropriate forum for discussions about this technology.

Transport: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on improving the transport infrastructure in Crosby since 2003;
	(2)  what  (a) grants and  (b) other assistance his Department has provided for the improvement of transport infrastructure in Crosby since 2003.

Paul Clark: Allocations provided by the Department for Transport to the Metropolitan borough of Sefton, which covers the Crosby constituency, since 2003 are shown in the following table. This funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities.
	
		
			  Sefton 
			   million 
			   Integrated transport block  Highways maintenance  Other funding( 1)  Total local transport funding 
			 2008-09 2.840 1.914 1.051 5.805 
			 2007-08 3.007 1.237 0.757. 5.001 
			 2006-07 2.735 2.167 0.738 5.640 
			 2005-06 2.547 1.548 0.720 4.815 
			 2004-05 3.658 1.687 0.654 5.999 
			 2003-04 3.550 4.549 1.686 9.785 
			 (1) Other funding covers revenue detrunking and bridge strengthening on the primary route network. 
		
	
	Sefton also benefits from funding support provided to the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority. Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's formula grant.
	The Department spends funds on the strategic road network through the Highways Agency (HA). The HA's reporting systems do not record actual expenditure for local authority areas; expenditure is recorded by project and activity. Estimates are compiled for regional expenditure to supplement data reported in the Department's annual report.
	Likewise, funding for other transport projects in England, such as rail projects, is not generally available on the basis of local authority boundaries.

Transport: Luton

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department and its predecessors have spent on  (a) transport and  (b) transport infrastructure in the Luton Borough Council area in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: In addition to funds for specific major schemes, the Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block and highways maintenance funding to local transport authorities for general capital investment in transport. This funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities. Allocations provided to Luton borough council since 1997 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   Integrated transport block  Highways maintenance  Specific road safety funding  Major schemes  Total local transport funding 
			 2008-09 2.408 1.012 0.637 2.500 6.557 
			 2007-08 3.158 0.891 0.660 4.400 9.109 
			 2006-07 2.516 0.948  5.300 8.764 
			 2005-06 3.100 0.889   3.989 
			 2004-05 3.300 1.185   4.485 
			 2003-04 4.310 1.020   5.330 
			 2002-03 4.000 0.862   4.862 
			 2001-02 4.100 0.819   4.919 
			 2000-01 1.800 0.587   2.387 
			 1999-2000 4.344   4.344 
			 1998-99 1.449  0.500 1.949 
			 1997-98 3.152  2.300 5.452 
		
	
	Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's formula grant.
	The Department spends funds on the strategic road network through the Highways Agency (HA). The HA's reporting systems do not record actual expenditure for local authority areas; expenditure is recorded by project and activity. Estimates are compiled for regional expenditure to supplement data reported in the Department's annual report.
	Likewise, funding for other transport projects in England, such as rail projects, is not available on the basis of local authority boundaries.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Compulsory Purchase

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for the Vale of Clwyd of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 360W, on compulsory purchase, 
	(1)  how many compulsory purchase orders have been submitted for land for traveller sites since 2006, according to the casework management database; and how many have been  (a) upheld and  (b) rejected;
	(2)  how many years' data are held on the casework management database on compulsory purchase orders; and whether it contains data in respect of the whole of England.

Iain Wright: The casework management database contains basic information from 2004-05 about Housing and Planning CPOs for England submitted to Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for confirmation such as the number of cases dealt with, the number opposed or unopposed, the number confirmed or refused and the CPO power used. It holds similar data about CPOs made by regional development agencies and the former English Partnerships. However, the database is not able to identify whether a CPO had been made for the purposes of acquiring land for a travellers' site.

Compulsory Purchase

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what categories of records  (a) her Department,  (b) the Planning Inspectorate and  (c) Government regional offices hold on compulsory purchases of land since 2006.

Iain Wright: For compulsory purchase orders submitted for confirmation to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government since 2006, the Department holds correspondence on some cases that were dealt with by the Government offices for the regions (GORs). The Planning Inspectorate holds basic information on CPOs for casework management purposes along with electronic copies of Inspectors' reports. The GORs have retained their casework files or electronic records.

Council Housing: Sales

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed Social HomeBuy transactions there had been at the latest date for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Social HomeBuy is a voluntary demand-led scheme introduced in April 2006. The scheme enables tenants of participating local authorities and housing associations to buy a minimum 25 per cent. share up to 100 per cent. in their rented home at a discount. Up to the end of December 2008, over 290 households have taken up this opportunity to access home ownership and stay in their communities, including those tenants who did not previously have an opportunity to purchase their current home.
	Social HomeBuy is one of a suite of options designed to help people to buy a home. Since 1997 the Government have helped more than 110,000 households into home ownership through shared ownership and shared equity schemes, with social tenants having first priority.

Council Housing: Sales

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of households to be assisted under the Rent to HomeBuy scheme in each year; and how much funding has been allocated to the scheme in 2008-09.

Iain Wright: Rent to HomeBuy is a demand-led scheme aimed at addressing current market conditions. The Government have not set any specific targets for the number of households to be assisted or any limit on the number of homes that will be funded. Our aspiration is to help 75,000 households into low cost home ownership by 2010-11, including through Rent to HomeBuy.

Council Housing: Sales

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been sold under each HomeBuy scheme in each month since their commencement.

Iain Wright: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr. Dunne) today to PQs 251709, 251710, 251711 and 251712, which provides some of the information requested. Also, in response to the hon. Member's question which was answered on 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1270W, tables have been deposited in the Library of the House which show completions by month and location local authority for each HomeBuy scheme in 2006-07 and 2007-08 through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing programme.

Demolition

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government under what circumstances planning permission is required to demolish a building.

Iain Wright: The demolition of buildings constituting development is permitted development under Part 31 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, so planning permission is not generally required. Permitted development rights do not apply where a building has become unsafe or otherwise uninhabitable by deliberate action or neglect by the owner, so planning permission is necessary in such circumstances. Where the demolition of a building is required as part of a redevelopment for which planning permission is sought, details of the demolition should be included in the planning application, and any planning permission granted for the development should include permission to demolish the building. The demolition of listed buildings, buildings in conservation areas, and buildings designated as scheduled monuments, is not classed as development but is subject to consent under separate consent regimes.

Departmental Accountancy

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons there is an entry for Overtime Ministers in her Department's Chart of Accounts 2008-09.

Sadiq Khan: The account was created when the accounting system was implemented, but it is not in use.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in departmental buildings in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: Expenditure from 1 January 2008 to date has been 7,257.60. During this period further works to the value of 7,705.52 have been undertaken, for which we await invoices.

Departmental Expenditure Limit

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the written ministerial statement of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 52-7WS, on the departmental expenditure limit (2008-09), to what types of data transfer the transfer of 1 million from the local government online programme to the Department for Work and Pensions is related.

Sadiq Khan: The 1 million was transferred from the local government online programme to support the roll-out of the Government Connect Secure Extranet (GCSx), as part of a financial arrangement between CLG and DWP, following the transfer of the Government Connect programme to DWP in April 2008.
	GCSx is intended to provide the technical platform to enable the transfer of secure interactions such as housing and council tax benefit processing between local authorities and central Government Departments.

Departmental Information Officers

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1139-40W, on departmental information officers, if she will place in the Library a copy of each of the media summaries produced by her Department from the last week for which copies are available.

Sadiq Khan: The media summaries referred to in the previous answer to the parliamentary question by the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) comprise short, informal notes of relevant press coverage of the day, which are designed for internal departmental purposes and circulated by e-mail only. There are therefore no plans to place copies in the Library.

Departmental Manpower

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her plans are for the number of staff employed by her Department in the next three years.

Sadiq Khan: Our overall administration budget, from which most but not all of our staff are funded, is falling by 5 per cent. real year on year. We aim to maximise the efficiency with which we deploy our resources, and in doing so we would expect some reduction in staff numbers in the years ahead.

Departmental Mass Media

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1139-40W, on departmental information officers, which external newspaper cutting and broadcast monitoring services her Department subscribes to; and at what cost in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) on 29 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1140-41W.

Departmental Pay

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether staff in her Department's division handling eco-towns have received bonus payments in the last 24 months.

Sadiq Khan: Given the small number of staff in the division running the eco-towns programme, it would be a breach of confidentiality and therefore inappropriate to give details.

Derelict Land

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many hectares of derelict land and buildings there were in each Government Office region according to the National Land Use database in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The amount of derelict land and buildings in each region in England for 2007 can be found in table 14.1.2 of the publication Previously-developed land that may be available for Development: England 2007.

Disabled Facilities Grants: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many payments her Department made to Castle Point borough council under the Disabled Facilities Grant scheme in each of the last five years; and how much was spent on such payments in each of those years.

Iain Wright: Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a mandatory grant used to provide adaptations to the homes of disabled people. Local authorities in England report their annual Disabled Facilities Grant number of recipients to Communities and Local Government through the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA). Information for 2003-04 to 2007-08 is provided in the following table. The following table sets out the numbers and Government allocation of disabled facilities grant for Castle Point borough council:
	
		
			   Number of grant recipients   
			 2003-04 36 90,000 
			 2004-05 31 90,000 
			 2005-06 55 89,000 
			 2006-07 51 140,000 
			 2007-08 40 136,000

Eco-Towns

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire, of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 948W, on eco-towns, which Minister took the decision to make the payment to Shelter to fund the document on eco-towns.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 20 November 2008,  Official Report, column 760W.

Energy Performance Certificates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a property with a power shower is capable of achieving Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Iain Wright: It is possible to have a power shower in a code level 6 home. The Code for Sustainable Homes is outcome based; it does not specify particular technologies or solutions. A code level 6 home must achieve a projected average water consumption of 80 litres per person per day, which is assessed through the code water calculator methodology. This approach allows greater flexibility for the designer as it enables them to decide which fixtures and solutions to use to achieve this target in each location.

Fire Services: First Aid

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire authorities participate in co-responding schemes enabling firefighters to administer first aid emergency treatment.

Sadiq Khan: At the end of 2007, the latest period for which we have verified figures, there were 18 fire and rescue services in England running co-responding schemes.

Green Belt

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1267-8W, on greenbelt, if she will publish the attached table referred to.

Iain Wright: The following table has been provided.
	
		
			  Land changing to developed use( 1)  within designated 1997 Green Belt, by Region, 1996 to 2003 
			  Hectares 
			  Government  o ffice  r egion  1996  1997  1998  1999( 2)  2000  2001  2002  2003 
			 North East 10 150 20 n/a 50 10 30 50 
			 North West 390 520 440 n/a 270 380 170 340 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 190 500 450 n/a 170 170 310 510 
			 East Midlands 200 100 90 n/a 90 120 40 210 
			 West Midlands 300 140 130 n/a 410 240 220 500 
			 East of England 190 200 250 n/a 320 350 190 490 
			 London 40 100 60 n/a 40 130 50 70 
			 South East 520 460 260 n/a 800 570 220 270 
			 South West 220 70 100 n/a 180 110 60 60 
			 England 2,060 2,230 1,800 n/a 2,330 2,070 1,280 2,500 
			 (1) Includes sites changing from one developed use to another, as well as those changing from undeveloped to developed uses. (2) Estimates from 1999 are considered to be not robust, hence absolute numbers are not provided.  Notes: 1. The data in the table above are based on records received from Ordnance Survey up to June 2007. 2. There is a time-lag between land use change occurring and it being recorded, because some changes can take a few years to be recorded, therefore data are constantly being updated. Please see LUCS Guidance 3.2 for more information. 3. This table shows sites that are within land designated as Green Belt in 1997 irrespective of whether or not the land was designated as Green Belt at the time of change.

Green Belt: Planning Permission

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1144W, on green belt: planning permission, what the  (a) location,  (b) local authority and  (c) type of development was of each of the 15 planning applications that have been called in and then approved since 2002 which involve green belt development.

Iain Wright: The following table sets out the location, local authority and development type of each of the 15 planning applications that have been called in and approved since 1 April 2002 which involve green belt development. Since the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1144W, there has been one further such application and details of this are also set out in the table.
	
		
			  Site name  Date of decision  Location  Local authority  Type of development 
			 Fast Eddies 23 December 2003 Walsall Walsall Residential 
			 Arnold Town FC 16 March 2005 Nottingham Nottingham Leisure 
			 Packmoor Club 8 November 2005 Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme Residential 
			 WHS Halo 5 July 2006 Sutton Coldfield Birmingham Industrial 
			 Ryarsh Park West 5 July 2006 West Malling Tonbridge Residential-led mixed use 
			 St. John's School 21 December 2006 Epping Epping Forest New school and residential 
			 Storthes Hall Hospital 11 January 2007 Kirkburton Kirklees Retirement community 
			 Woolley Hall 30 January 2007 Maidenhead Windsor and Maidenhead Residential and commercial 
			 Germany Beck (2 applications) 9 May 2007 York York Residential-led mixed use 
			 Field Lane 23 May 2007 Grimston York University campus 
			 Croftlands Nursing Home 24 July 2007 Kirkburton Kirklees Extension to nursing home 
			 Southend United FC (2 applications) 30 June 2008 Southend Southend on Sea Leisure, hotel and retail 
			 Stoneswood House 6 February 2008 Oldham Oldham Care home 
			  Since October 2008: 
			 Bedfont Trading Estate 7 January 2009 London Hounslow Storage/warehousing

Home Responsibility Payment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government has taken to raise awareness of the home responsibility payment.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), introduced in 1978, is not a payment but a scheme to protect the future state pension entitlement of parents and other carers who are not in paid employment or who do not earn enough to gain a qualifying year for state pension through national insurance contributions. It works by taking away years of caring responsibilities from the number of qualifying years needed for a full basic state pension. Since 2002, it has also given entitlement to additional state pension in some circumstances.
	Over 99 per cent. of people become eligible for Home Responsibilities Protection automatically through the award of child benefit for a child under 16. Most people who satisfy the conditions for receiving HRP as a carer for a disabled person also satisfy the conditions for carer's allowance as these are very similar. Since recipients of carer's allowance are credited with national insurance contributions, they do not normally need HRP.
	There is publicity about HRP in a variety of leaflets concerning pensions and carers available in Jobcentre Plus offices, from the Pension, Disability and Carers Service and other outlets and on Government websites to alert the remaining carers to the need to make an application. Deficiency Notices issued by HMRC following the end of a tax year in which people have not gained a qualifying year for pension purposes also give advice about HRP and credits. There was an extensive national publicity campaign in early 2006 to make carers aware that they might need to apply for HRP in order to gain additional state pension.
	The Pensions Act 2007 introduced a comprehensive package of reforms to help more carers build better pensions. These include the replacement of HRP with a system of weekly national insurance credits for parents and carers which will build up entitlement to basic and additional state pension and will extend pension protection to persons undertaking lower levels of caring. We are working to ensure that people are aware of the whole package of state pension reforms we will introduce from 2010. We want to reach all those who may be entitled to the new credits whether they have been in contact with the benefit system or not and will continue to work with interested parties to determine how best we deliver it.

Homes and Communities Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the policy of the Homes and Communities Agency is on the circumstances in which it will use its powers to act as a local planning authority.

Iain Wright: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) currently only has delegated planning powers in relation to development control in the Milton Keynes Urban Development Area (UDA). These powers were inherited from English Partnerships and were originally granted in order to provide a coordinated approach to the planning and delivery of growth and investment in the Milton Keynes UDA.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the expected  (a) level of Housing Revenue Account Subsidy and ( b) number of households in social housing is in each local authority area in England for (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Iain Wright: The following table gives figures for the level of Housing Revenue Account Subsidy for each local authority in England in 2008-09.
	Subsidy figures for 2009-10 are not available at present as we are still to receive 2009-10 claim forms from local authorities.
	We do not collect information by household for social housing in local authority areas for Housing Revenue Account Subsidy purposes. The table includes the number of dwellings for each local authority on 1 April 2007.
	
		
			  2008-09 
			  Local authority  HRA Subsidy ()  Number of dwellings 
			 Adur -2,390,216 2,718 
			 Alnwick -372,444 1,771 
			 Arun -3,465,115 3,471 
			 Ashfield 1,971,555 7,134 
			 Ashford -3,267,783 5,302 
			 Babergh -4,527,320 3,568 
			 Barking -17,237,264 19,678 
			 Barnet -11,924,485 11,117 
			 Barnsley 6,664,561 19,839 
			 Barrow -35,062 2,781 
			 Basildon -3,083,030 11,581 
			 Bassetlaw -3,013,736 7,004 
			 Berwick -1,441,759 1,933 
			 Birmingham -10,507,747 66,911 
			 Blaby -2,159,692 2,218 
			 Blackpool 625,394 5,433 
			 Blyth Valley 2,648,088 6,813 
			 Bolsover -4,758,038 5,462 
			 Bolton 7,116,245 18,450 
			 Bournemouth -3,135,812 5,166 
			 Bracknell -6,683 5,800 
			 Braintree 1,213,653 8,181 
			 Brent 15,908,981 9,610 
			 Brentwood -3,548,489 2,560 
			 Bridgnorth -3,072,564 2,377 
			 Brighton  Hove -2,467,100 12,385 
			 Bristol -5,462,387 28,679 
			 Broxtowe -3,223,748 4,642 
			 Bury -4,470,173 8,383 
			 Cambridge -11,762,891 7,568 
			 Camden 29,441,936 24,414 
			 Cannock Chase -3,152,459 5,658 
			 Canterbury -5,100,622 5,308 
			 Caradon -3,056,028 3,561 
			 Carrick -805,343 3,719 
			 Castle Morpeth 964,529 2,306 
			 Castle Point -2,005,118 1,553 
			 Charnwood -3,359,625 5,888 
			 Cheltenham -1,729,195 4,687 
			 Chester-le-St 0 4,331 
			 Chesterfield -5,501,436 9,917 
			 City of London 742,067 1,889 
			 City of York -5,306,660 8,059 
			 Colchester -2,250,235 6,358 
			 Corby -3,080,050 4,904 
			 Crawley -13,877,873 8,290 
			 Croydon -16,078,194 14,106 
			 Dacorum -18,103,721 10,658 
			 Darlington -565,271 5,519 
			 Dartford -5,072,900 4,377 
			 Daventry -1,488 3,125 
			 Derby 1,692,170 13,792 
			 Doncaster 1,612,445 21,219 
			 Dover -5,230,192 4,667 
			 Dudley -17,155,310 23,570 
			 Durham -1,890,745 6,208 
			 Ealing 5,178,264 13,816 
			 Easington 1,775,941 8,790 
			 East Devon -5,358,394 4,302 
			 East Riding -9,363,243 11,073 
			 Eastbourne 720,416 3,804 
			 Ellesmere Port -4,547,005 5,711 
			 Enfield -8,278,110 11,880 
			 Epping Forest -10,842,203 6,619 
			 Exeter -4,415,766 5,088 
			 Fareham -2,201,593 2,423 
			 Fenland 42,292 3,779 
			 Gateshead 4,935,249 21,805 
			 Gedling -1,411,193 3,439 
			 Gloucester -1,536,163 4,566 
			 Gosport -3,177,976 3,259 
			 Gravesham -5,959,387 6,023 
			 Great Yarmouth -2,703,376 6,173 
			 Greenwich 8,802,275 24,720 
			 Guildford -10,337,775 5,414 
			 Hackney 48,397,019 23,871 
			 Hammersmith 12,979,642 13,229 
			 Harborough 38,260 2,120 
			 Haringey 16,634,705 16,608 
			 Harlow -12,373,746 9,998 
			 Harrogate -2,429,849 3,936 
			 Harrow -6,414,313 5,073 
			 Havering -11,456,438 10,879 
			 High Peak -1,912,780 4,135 
			 Hillingdon -10,461,727 10,752 
			 Hinckley -3,438,092 3,413 
			 Hounslow 1,411,227 13,579 
			 Ipswich -6,133,576 8,285 
			 Islington 58,369,138 26,666 
			 Kensington 4,333,212 6,944 
			 Kettering -3,106,606 3,853 
			 Kingston upon Hull 1,923,610 28,126 
			 Kingston upon Thames -6,608,682 4,870 
			 Kirklees 8,481,553 23,746 
			 Lambeth 11,465,899 27,226 
			 Lancaster -1,344,808 3,846 
			 Leeds 30,012,444 60,063 
			 Leicester 477,548 22,664 
			 Lewes -2,922,231 3,286 
			 Lewisham 21,861,427 25,662 
			 Lincoln -555,651 8,013 
			 Liverpool 240,586 16,006 
			 Luton -5,702,451 8,303 
			 Manchester 34,659,290 35,039 
			 Mansfield -1,014,170 6,846 
			 Medway Towns -1,429,757 3,088 
			 Melton -1,514,775 1,916 
			 Merton -8,921,220 6,528 
			 Mid Devon -3,306,057 3,120 
			 Mid Suffolk -3,490,455 3,493 
			 Milton Keynes -10,183,856 12,673 
			 Mole Valley -10,956 3,522 
			 NE Derbyshire -6,748,105 8,263 
			 New Forest -7,954,267 5,044 
			 Newark -2,279,765 5,462 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 20,203,251 30,533 
			 Newham 28,014,170 18,652 
			 North Cornwall -2,521,276 3,393 
			 North Kesteven -2,559,203 3,841 
			 North Shropshire 22,452 2,309 
			 North Tyneside -1,369,553 15,921 
			 North Warwick -3,457,390 2,807 
			 Northampton -9,060,142 12,342 
			 Norwich -6,067,070 15,928 
			 Nottingham 3,735,057 29,585 
			 Nuneaton -3,875,867 6,102 
			 NW Leicester -4,401,897 4,517 
			 Oadby and Wigston -928,743 1,269 
			 Oldham 17,693,722 14,336 
			 Oswestry -1,537,911 1,930 
			 Oxford City -10,612,055 7,955 
			 Plymouth -1,873,599 15,317 
			 Poole -3,397,874 4,648 
			 Portsmouth -4,581,033 15,339 
			 Reading -4,593,762 7,427 
			 Redbridge -4,526,858 4,718 
			 Redditch -5,834,619 6,114 
			 Ribble Valley 38,150 1,176 
			 Richmondshire -973,632 1,632 
			 Rochdale 10,147,779 14,256 
			 Rochford -7,397 1,716 
			 Rotherham -2,088,888 21,322 
			 Rugby -3,378,087 3,906 
			 Runnymede -5,957,731 3,074 
			 Rutland -1,359,689 1,244 
			 Salford 8,050,206 25,542 
			 Salisbury -7,510,880 5,406 
			 Sandwell -172,317 30,843 
			 Sedgefield -3,274,926 8,647 
			 Sedgemoor -3,565,993 4,171 
			 Selby -2,686,071 3,189 
			 Sheffield 35,711,125 44,830 
			 Shepway -2,306,890 3,457 
			 Slough -7,803,505 6,640 
			 Solihull -4,401,892 10,860 
			 South Beds -8,563,089 5,295 
			 South Cambridge -11,854,192 5,643 
			 South Derby -2,834,642 3,128 
			 South Holland -3,672,405 3,930 
			 South Kesteven -5,602,083 6,316 
			 South Lakeland -3,386,251 3,216 
			 South Norfolk 108,402 0 
			 South Northants -16,636 2,900 
			 South Tyneside -2,731,197 18,598 
			 Southampton -5,074,600 17,312 
			 Southend-on-Sea -2,699,904 6,227 
			 Southwark 33,457,178 41,026 
			 St. Albans -9,699,568 5,319 
			 Stevenage -13,668,795 8,384 
			 Stockport -1,138,130 11,634 
			 Stockton 1,861,054 10,977 
			 Stoke-on-Trent -5,421,108 19,740 
			 Stroud -5,886,100 5,255 
			 Sutton -9,796,217 7,281 
			 Swindon -9,354,996 10,631 
			 Tamworth -1,636,668 4,614 
			 Tandridge -3,675,633 2,693 
			 Taunton Deane -5,878,374 6,131 
			 Tendring -1,712,353 3,267 
			 Thanet -70,582 3,144 
			 Three Rivers -7,563 3,788 
			 Thurrock -8,840,184 10,369 
			 Tower Hamlets 21,331,376 15,702 
			 Uttlesford -5,155,142 2,887 
			 Waltham Forest 1,997,233 10,630 
			 Wandsworth -15,025,285 17,278 
			 Wansbeck 16,693 5,431 
			 Warrington -5,300,899 8,903 
			 Warwick -6,692,644 5,645 
			 Watford 36,964 4,859 
			 Waveney -3,582,717 4,672 
			 Waverley -10,027,624 4,998 
			 Wealden -2,286,718 3,173 
			 Wellingborough 37,537 4,633 
			 Welwyn Hatfield -16,366,366 9,413 
			 West Lancashire -4,584,661 6,444 
			 Westminster 6,933,085 12,333 
			 Wigan 684,501 23,093 
			 Winchester -8,281,069 5,121 
			 Woking -5,308,543 3,495 
			 Wokingham -4,853,627 2,781 
			 Wolverhampton -6,152,026 24,025 
			 Wycombe -11,318,958 6,212 
			  Note: A negative figure shows that the local authority would make a payment to the Exchequer and positive figures show the local authority would receive subsidy payments.

Housing: Construction

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to improve accessibility to plots of land for use by self-builders.

Iain Wright: Applications for self-build development will be considered by the local planning authority in line with the policies in their local development framework. There are no plans to issue further policy or guidance. In order to provide information about what surplus public sector sites are available for development the Homes and Communities Agency is proposing to establish a small sites programme whereby developers and self-builders will be made aware about the release of former public sector sites on to the market. This programme is not yet fully developed but in advance of this details for some small sites to be auctioned in mid February by the Homes and Communities Agency will be released on their website shortly. Details of small sites recently taken to the market by the Homes and Communities Agency's predecessor, English Partnership, can be accessed through this web address:
	http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/smallsites.htm

Housing: Sales

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 16 December 2008,  Official Report, column 592W, on housing sales, what the terms of reference of the working group on condition information are; and what the group's membership is.

Iain Wright: The membership and terms of reference of the working group are still being finalised. I will place a copy of this information in the House once this work is complete.

Land Use: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department holds on discussions 
	(1)  which have taken place between  (a) officers,  (b) Members and  (c) actual or potential developers under the auspices of Castle Point Borough Council and Essex County Council in respect of the building of (i) a new link road for Cornelius Vermuyden School and (ii) other development of land west of the school; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  between  (a) officers,  (b) Members and  (c) actual potential developers under the auspices of Castle Point Borough Council and Essex County Council on planning developments on Castle View School playing fields; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State Communities and Local Government, holds no information on discussions which have taken place between  (a) officer,  (b) Members and  (c) actual or potential developers under the auspices of Castle Point borough council and Essex county council on planning developments on Castle View school playing fields.
	The Secretary of State is however aware of a petition dated 7 October 2008 submitted by the hon. Gentleman, requesting that the House of Commons urge the Government to press Castle Point borough councillors to vote against the plan to sell off a Canvey Island school playing field for development.

Local Government: Private Finance Initiative

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have applied for PFI contracts in each of the last five years; and what the value of each of these contracts was.

Sadiq Khan: Central Government support has been agreed for the following number of local authority PFI projects (including under Building Schools for the Future contracts) in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004-05 29 
			 2005-06 15 
			 2006-07 16 
			 2007-08 28 
			 2008-09 18 
		
	
	Records of project capital values supported by central government in the form of PFI credits are updated regularly. These are available on the CLG website at:
	www.local.communities.gov.uk/pfi/lapfilist.xls

Official Cars

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what cars of what engine cubic capacity are  (a) owned and  (b) leased by her Department.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 10W, regarding cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.
	The Department itself does not own or lease any cars. When cars are needed for official purposes they are hired from the Department's approved supplier or from the Government Car and Dispatch Agency.

Ordnance Survey: Datasets

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what datasets Ordnance Survey collates on  (a) access and  (b) proximity to public transport.

Iain Wright: Ordnance Survey datasets are primarily topographic in nature, as they record the location of the physical features of the natural and man-made environment. Depending upon the scale and specification of the dataset, they contain details of the topographic alignment of roads, railways, tramways, canals and navigable waterways which may be used by public transport, together with the position of features such as coach, bus and railway stations, airport complexes, and on large scale mapping bus shelters.
	Ordnance Survey does not explicitly hold, maintain or provide datasets relating to qualitative information on public transport routes or access to public transport, though some information of this nature may be inferred from the topographic data.

Ordnance Survey: Photography

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Ordnance Survey uses  (a) aerial and  (b) satellite photography to develop its (i) 1:10,000 raster, (ii) 1:50,000 raster, (iii) 1:25,000 raster, (iv) Boundary Line, (v) Code Point with Polygons, (vi) Master Map Topography Layer and (vii) Address Layer 2 products.

Iain Wright: Ordnance Survey uses aerial imagery to assist in revising the topographic geometry contained within the National Topographic Database (NGD), at nominal scales of 1:1250 in urban areas, 1:2500 in rural areas and 1:10,000 in mountain and moorland areas. NGD feeds the OS MasterMap Topography Layer dataset, while revision of raster data at scales of 1:10,000, 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 is derived from NGD in whole or part. Boundary-Line, Code-Point with polygons and OS MasterMap Address Layer 2 do not involve information derived from Aerial imagery.
	Ordnance Survey has not used satellite imagery imagery.

Planning Permission

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1152W, on planning permission, what changes to her Department's policy on call-ins are under consideration for inclusion in the new Direction.

Iain Wright: A consultation on the review of call-in directions was carried out between 7 January 2008 and 31 March 2008. This set out proposals aimed at reducing the number of planning applications automatically referred to Government for consideration of whether they should be 'called in' for ministerial decision by consolidating the existing directions into one new direction, with some changes to reflect current policy, specifically:
	Deleting the requirement to refer cases of over 150 houses;
	Deleting the requirement to refer cases of local authorities developing their own land, or being the applicant for development;
	Deleting the requirement to refer cases which would significantly prejudice the implementation of the development plan's policies and proposals;
	Retaining the requirement to refer applications involving more than 5,000 square metres of gross retail, leisure, office or mixed commercial floor space but only for proposals on sites in edge or out of centre locations and which are not in accordance with an up to date development plan document; and extending this requirement to include some proposals for increases of existing floor space of over 2,500 square metres, where the total would then exceed 5,000 square metres;
	Introducing a new requirement to refer proposals which may have a significant adverse impact on the outstanding universal value and significance of a World Heritage Site or its setting;
	All other requirements remain unchanged.
	Further details of the Government's proposals can be found in the consultation document which is available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/callindirections.
	Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Library of the House. The Government are in the process of analysing the responses received to the consultation with a view to publishing a new direction in the spring.

Planning Permission: Appeals

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1287-8W, on planning permission, what guidance has been given to the Planning Inspectorate on how a planning appeal should be considered if a materially relevant Planning Policy Statement or Planning Policy Guidance note has changed in the period after the original planning application was considered by the local planning authority, with particular reference to whether the previous Planning Policy Statement or Guidance or the new version should be applied when assessing the merits of the appeal; and whether the same principles will apply to national policy statements which are revised.

Iain Wright: No such guidance has been issued.
	In relation to an appeal under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Secretary of State has a power under Section 79(1) of the same Act to deal with an application as if it had been made to her in the first instance, which means that she can take account of any new policy which has come into force since the local planning authority made its decision. An appeal will be determined on the basis of policy which exists at the time the appeal is being determined.

Planning Permission: Caravan Sites

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful appeals against refusal of planning permission for unauthorised traveller sites were considered by (i) the Secretary of State and (ii) the Planning Inspectorate in each year since 1997;
	(2)  with reference to the answer to Lord Avebury of 25 November 2008,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column WA284, on Gypsies and Travellers, how many appeals against refusal of planning permission for authorised traveller sites  (a) she and  (b) the Planning Inspectorate considered in each year since 1997 for which figures are available; and how many were (i) refused and (ii) upheld.

Iain Wright: Information in relation to planning appeals against refusal of planning permission for authorised or unauthorised traveller sites is not held centrally and could only be collated at disproportionate cost.
	Data are available on numbers of planning appeals determined by the Secretary of State and the Inspectorate relating to both Gypsies and Travellers with effect from 2002 to 2008 and their outcome. This is shown in calendar years in the following table. Detailed data on Gypsies and Travellers are only available from 2002 with data for Secretary of State appeals only available from 1 April 2002.
	
		
			   Secretary of State  Planning Inspectorate 
			  Planning Appeals  Appeal upheld (Allowed)  Appeal refused (Dismissed )  Total  Appeal upheld (Allowed)  Appeal refused (Dismissed )  Total 
			 2002 2 2 4 12 36 48 
			 2003 11 38 49 25 31 56 
			 2004 2 42 44 33 44 77 
			 2005 4 35 39 43 65 108 
			 2006 3 11 14 71 26 97 
			 2007 2 8 10 81 36 117 
			 2008 0 4 4 53 44 97 
			 Total 24 140 164 318 282 600

Planning Permission: Hammersmith and Fulham

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what grounds she called in the planning application for the G Gate Hotel in Olympia in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State's reasons for calling in the application are set out in paragraph 4 of her call-in letter of 23 October 2008, a copy of which has been deposited in the Libraries of the House and on the Government Office for London's website.
	http://www.gol.gov.uk/gol/Planning/Planningcasework/270430/365277/

Planning: Mining

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to introduce a requirement for a 500 metre buffer zone around opencast mines through the Minerals Planning Guidance.

Iain Wright: The Government's White Paper on Energy Meeting the Energy Challenge (2007) indicates that making best use of UK Energy resources, including coal reserves, where it is economically viable and environmentally acceptable to do so, contributes to the Government's goal of security of energy supplies. Planning Policy for coal extraction in England (whether open cast or deep mine) is set out in Minerals Policy Guidance Note 3 Coal Mining and Colliery Spoil Disposal (MPG3) published in 1999. Consistent with the broader policy in the White Paper, this sets a presumption against such development unless the proposal meets specific tests in terms of environmental acceptability or the provision of local and community benefits which clearly outweigh the likely impacts. The Government believe that these tests are sufficient to ensure that the environmental effects of opencast coal mining are properly considered in the planning process. There is no current intention to review policy in MPG3.
	The full text of MPG3 is set out on my Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/mineralsplanningguidance2

Planning: Terrorism

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 1 February 2008,  Official Report, column 696W, on planning, what guidance her Department has published on planning policy and counter-terrorism.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government has not yet published any guidance on planning policy and counter-terrorism. However, we are developing joint guidance in partnership with the Home Office and working with other key stakeholders to produce a supplement to the existing guidance Safer Places: The Planning System and Crime Prevention, which will cover counter-terrorism issues. We expect to publish this document for public consultation later this year.

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for a partial review of the South East Regional Spatial Strategy.

Sadiq Khan: The South East England regional assembly are currently undertaking two partial reviews of the regional spatial strategy. The first is in relation to the apportionment of primary land-won aggregates. And the second in relation to providing place to live for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People in the south east.
	Both of these are due to be submitted to the Secretary of State for public examination later this year.

Regional Planning and Development: Yorkshire and the Humber

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities in Yorkshire  (a) have and  (b) have not received funding from Growth Area Fund programmes; and how much each local authority has received in each wave of the programme.

Iain Wright: There are two Growth Points in Yorkshire that are eligible to receive funding from the Growth Fund:
	The Doncaster and South Yorkshire Growth Point includes the authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. They have been allocated 250,000 in 2008-09, 3,784,791 in 2009-10 and 5,933,131 in 2010-11.
	The Leeds City Region Growth Point includes the authorities of Barnsley, Calderdale and Wakefield. They have been allocated 200,000 in 2008-09, 2,476,060 in 2009-10 and 3,881,723 in 2010-11. The authority partnership is co-ordinated by Leeds as the convener of the Leeds City Region.
	Barnsley is represented in both Growth Points, as 50 per cent. of the proposed growth will lie in each area.
	As funding from the Growth Fund is unringfenced, it is paid to the Growth Point's nominated lead authority for the payment of grant. It is for the Growth Point authorities to prioritise how the funding is divided at the local level.
	East Riding, Kingston upon Hull, Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby, York, Bradford and Kirklees are not part of a Growth Point and so not eligible for this funding.

Regional Spatial Strategies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable she has set for the agreement of each regional spatial strategy.

Iain Wright: The regional spatial strategies for the following regions are expected to be issued by the Secretary of State as follows:
	Spring 2009: East Midlands
	Spring 2009: South East
	Summer 2009: South West
	Spring 2010: West Midlands (phase 2)
	Autumn 2011: West Midlands (phase 3)
	Four RSSs have already been issued by the Secretary of State and phase 1 of the West Midlands RSS as follows:
	15 January 2008: West Midlands (phase 1) Black Country sub-regional plan
	12 May 2008: East of England
	21 May 2008: Yorkshire and Humber
	15 July 2008: North East
	30 September 2008: North West

Right to Buy Scheme

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing association tenants have  (a) the right to buy and  (b) a preserved right to buy.

Iain Wright: Secure tenants of non-charitable housing associations are eligible for the Right to Buy scheme. The number of such tenants is 18,599.
	Former tenants of local authorities who have transferred with their homes to housing associations since 1988 retain a Preserved Right to Buy. The number of such tenants is 1,117,827.

Rural Areas

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to respond to the hon. Member for Truro and St Austell's report on rural economy and affordable housing; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Government expect to make their formal response to the Taylor Review shortly.

Shared Ownership Schemes

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much funding has been made available to each local authority for shared ownership schemes in each month since May 2008;
	(2)  how many homes have been sold in each local authority through shared ownership schemes in each month since May 2008;
	(3)  how much funding has been made available to each local authority for equity loan schemes in each month since their introduction;
	(4)  how many homes have been sold in each local authority through equity loan schemes in each month since their introduction.

Iain Wright: Tables have been deposited in the Library showing grant provided through the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing Programme to their investment partners by month for equity loan and shared ownership schemes by local authority area from April 2008 to December 2008.
	Tables showing completions through the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing Programme by month for equity loan and shared ownership schemes by local authority from April 2008 to December 2008 have also been deposited in the Library.
	There is no direct comparison between spend and completions especially on shared ownership schemes. Shared ownership scheme payments are made in tranches usually on start on site and at practical completion. For equity loan schemes, the payment is made on completion of the scheme as these are generally open market purchases. The figures cover the current open market homebuy equity loan scheme which commenced in April 2008. Tables have been deposited in the Library of the House which show completions by month and local authority location for each homebuy scheme in 2006-07 and 2007-08 through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme.

Social Rented Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of the economic turndown on the number of new social homes to be provided through the section 106 process in the next 12 months.

Iain Wright: Ministers and officials have been meeting housing associations and the National Housing Federation to discuss provision of affordable housing in the current housing market downturn, including the impact of a potential downturn on section 106 activity. In response, we have taken a number of steps to encourage delivery including allowing the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) increased flexibility on levels of grant funding to support development. The HCA will assess each bid on a case by case basis to ensure it meets its funding criteria, including value for money requirements.

Social Rented Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of new social housing has been provided under section 106 agreements in the last 12 months.

Iain Wright: In 2007-08, 51 per cent. (14,860) out of a total of 29,370 new homes for social rent were provided under section 106 agreements.

Stamp Duties

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 1 May 2008,  Official Report columns 632-3W on stamp duties, how many of the 200 planned zero-carbon homes near Bristol have been built; and how many qualified for zero per cent. stamp duty on zero-carbon homes.

Iain Wright: The site at Hanham Hall near Bristol is the first to be developed under the carbon challenge which the Homes and Communities Agency is delivering on behalf of Communities and Local Government. A planning application to build 195 homes at this site was submitted to the local planning authority in December 2008. Subject to consent being granted we anticipate that construction will start on the site before the end of this year with the first homes being completed in 2010.
	The brief for the carbon challenge requires that the new homes must achieve level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. In keeping with the brief, Barratt Developments Plc, the preferred bidders for the Hanham Hall site, have designed the homes to meet the requirements of the definition of net zero carbon in the Code for Sustainable Homes. We therefore envisage that all 195 homes will qualify for stamp duty tax relief in due course.

Tenant Services Authority: Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the budget for the Tenant Services Authority is for its first full year of operation.

Iain Wright: The budget available to the Tenant Services Authority for 2009-10 is 35,573 million.

Tenant Services Authority: Publicity

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost of the Tenant Services Authority's pink camper van campaign.

Iain Wright: The TSA is the successor (since 1 December 2008) to the Housing Corporation as the regulator of housing associations. It has been set 10 statutory objectives relating to the supply, quality and management of social housing, protection for and involvement of tenants in estate management, the financial viability and proper conduct of HAs, and 'light touch' regulation.
	The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 gives it powers to set standards for the nature, extent and quality of accommodation, and facilities and services provided by HAs, and in respect of the management of HAs' financial and other affairs. It is expected that these powers will be brought into effect early in 2010.
	The TSA is therefore undertaking wide-ranging public consultation in 2009 on how to exercise these powers. It has launched a 'National Conversation' and is encouraging landlords all over England to engage their tenants in discussion. The TSA is also holding its own events and activities. These include hiring a camper van fitted out with a video camera for nine days, which has proved to be an effective way of speaking to tenants who would not otherwise give their views through more traditional consultation events. The cost of hiring this facility is 14,816.00 plus VAT.

Travelling People

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many unauthorised Traveller caravans were recorded in each Government Office region in the summer of each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: The bi-annual count of Gypsy and Traveller caravans, undertaken in January and July, records the number of caravans on unauthorised sites by each Government Office region. Copies of the caravan count are available in the Library of the House.

Zero Carbon Delivery Unit

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 369W, on Zero Carbon Delivery Unit, if she will place in the Library a copy of the business plan for the zero-carbon hub.

Iain Wright: The Department expects to receive a copy of the final business plan soon and will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library when it is received.

JUSTICE

Penalty Notices

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the percentage of the sum imposed in fines under penalty notices issued in 2007 and 2008 which has not been paid.

Shahid Malik: Approximately 52 per cent. of offenders given PNDs pay at the first opportunity. Apart from a small percentage who challenge the PND in court, the remainder are registered as fines at one and a half times the amount and enforced in the normal way.
	Overall, 85 per cent. of the value of fines imposed is collected.

Use of Restraint: Young Offenders

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to end the use of restraint on young offenders in secure accommodation.

David Hanson: It is the Government's intention to ensure that restraint is only used as a last resort. The recent review, published on 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 84WS, set out the revised policy on the use of restraint.

Prison Places

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many new prison places he plans to provide by 31 December 2009.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many new prison places he plans to provide by 31 December 2009.

David Hanson: In total, around 2,150 new places will be provided in 2009; 180 have been provided to date.

Civil Legal Aid

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on piloting new ways to provide civil legal aid.

Shahid Malik: Pilots can provide important evidence about the effectiveness and cost of new arrangements for legal aid. We are seeking to expand our ability to conduct pilots through the Coroners and Justice Bill.

Titan Prisons

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects construction of the first Titan prison to begin.

David Hanson: We plan to open the first prison cluster on a phased basis from December 2012. Construction will commence around two years prior to this.

Custody Licence Scheme

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to end the end of custody licence scheme.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Clwyd West (Mr. Jones) at Justice oral questions today.

Court Cells: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will allow Bournemouth's court cells to be used by Bournemouth police to detain suspected offenders.

David Hanson: The Dorset police have been given permission to use the cells at Bournemouth magistrates courts at weekends during peak summer months pending completion of their own custody suite.

Domestic Violence

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to support during judicial processes those who have undergone domestic violence.

Bridget Prentice: Since 1997 the Government have been working to ensure that all sections of domestic violence law support and protect all victims of domestic abuse. In 2004 the Government passed the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act which was the biggest overhaul of domestic violence law in 30 years
	Aside from legislation, on a national level in criminal courts this has included practical system changes promoting a co-ordinated community response to domestic violence through a set of initiatives in and around the criminal justice agencies. This includes establishing 104 specialist domestic violence courts (SDVC) with a commitment to increase this to 128 courts by 2011. Linked to each SDVC is a dedicated independent domestic violence adviser service which provides invaluable support to victims of domestic violence and their families. Evidence shows that incidents of victimisation decrease and victims are less likely to withdraw from cases when this support is provided.

Forced Marriages

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 in enabling the courts to prevent forced marriages.

Bridget Prentice: As the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 was only implemented on 25 November 2008, it is too early to evaluate trends. 10 orders have been made since the introduction of the Act including one for the victim returned from Bangladesh. We are continuing to monitor the number of forced marriage protection orders made by the courts. We have asked the courts dealing with the Act to provide statistics on the number of orders they make.

British Statement of Values

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to consult on a British statement of values.

Michael Wills: Since the publication of the Governance of Britain Green Paper in July 2007 we have been conducting an inclusive discussion on citizenship and the values that underpin what it means to be a member of UK society, through a series of online discussions, consultation toolkits and local events. We expect to continue this discussion as part of the proposed Green paper on a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

Magistrates Courts

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of differences between magistrates courts in their use of custody for remand and for sentences.

Shahid Malik: On 5 December 2007 we published a report on local variation in sentencing in England and Wales. The study describes geographic variation in custodial sentencing for the period 2003 to 2006 and the possible reasons for it. No similar assessment has been in relation to the use of custody for remand.

Custodial Sentences: Single Parents

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the effects on dependent children of custodial sentences for single parents.

Shahid Malik: The Government recognises that this is an important issue, especially for the children of women offenders who are more likely to be single carers. It is one of the reasons why we commissioned the Corston Review on vulnerable women in the criminal justice system. The Government have made considerable progress in taking forward the recommendations from that review, as has been reported to this House by my ministerial colleague the member for Liverpool, Garston. We agree that more should be done and we are working closely with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to ensure services join-up to meet the needs of these vulnerable children.

Bail Accommodation and Support Service

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) offenders on home detention curfew and  (b) defendants on bail have used the Bail Accommodation and Support Service since June 2007;
	(2)  in which local authority ward each Bail Accommodation and Support Service property is located.

Jack Straw: The service commenced on 18 June 2007. Up to 26 January 2009, 1,073 offenders on Home Detention Curfew and 1,385 defendants on bail have been placed in the service. Of these 1,048 offenders on Home Detention Curfew and 1,292 defendants on bail have been provided with housing.
	It is not our practice to publicise the precise whereabouts of the properties, which are the private rented homes of those living in them. When a property is brought into use the hon. Member in whose constituency it is located is advised of the local authority ward. The local authority is given the address and the opportunity to comment on its suitability before a property is brought into use. A list of constituencies and postcode areas was provided on 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 911W in answer to the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert).

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the running costs have been of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) in 2008-09; what budgets for CAFCASS have been fixed over the next two financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The funding allocation for CAFCASS for the current and next two financial years is shown as follows. For this financial year, CAFCASS have received 78,311,528 of which 57,486,020 has been for staff costs.
	
		
			  Financial year   
			 2008-09 114,855,000 
			 2009-10 124,094,000 
			 2010-11 132,822,000

Community Orders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders receiving a community sentence in 2007 had  (a) more than five,  (b) more than 10,  (c) more than 15,  (d) more than 25 and  (e) more than 100 previous convictions.

David Hanson: The following table gives the previous criminal history of offenders sentenced to community orders in England and Wales in 2007. Information is not available in precisely the format requested. These figures are based on data published in chapter 6 of Sentencing Statistics 2007 and count both previous convictions and previous cautions.
	
		
			  Persons sentenced to community sentences for indictable offences by previous criminal history, 2007 
			  Number of previous convictions or cautions  Number of sentences 
			 First time offenders 11,451 
			 1-2 previous convictions/cautions 25,158 
			 3-6 previous convictions/cautions 23,609 
			 7-10 previous convictions/cautions 10,249 
			 11-14 previous convictions/cautions 6,150 
			 15 or more previous convictions/cautions 13,651 
			 Total number of offenders (100%) 90,268 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Further information can be found in chapter 6 of Sentencing Statistics 2007 at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
	Sentencing remains a matter for the court.

Community Orders: Research

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library  (a) a copy of the full schedule of questions and  (b) a breakdown of results from the research on community punishments undertaken by ICM and announced by his Department on 16 November 2007.

David Hanson: ICM conducted surveys of 1,085 victims of non-violent crime surveyed between 5-14 October 2007 broken down by gender, age, social class and region and 999 victims of non-violent crime surveyed between 31 October-4 November broken down by gender, age, social class and region.
	The research was used for public awareness raising about community sentences. A full schedule of questions and the breakdown of the relevant ICM survey results, including regional results, has been placed in the Library.

Coroners

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which coroners' courts his Department plans to relocate in the next 12 months; for what reason in each case; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which coroners' courts have been closed since January 2008; and what the reason for closure was in each case;
	(3)  which coroners' courts have been relocated since January 2008; and what the reason for relocation was in each case.

Bridget Prentice: My Department has no direct responsibilities for the location or relocation of coroners' courts. All arrangements for coroners' court accommodation are made locally and information about the closure and relocation of coroners' courts is not held centrally.

Crime Prevention: Finance

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what account he has taken of the effect of the current economic downturn on levels of crime in planning resource allocation to  (a) the Probation Service and  (b) HM Courts Service; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice's Ministers and Corporate Management Board are supplied with regular statistical information about both the economic downturn itself, and areas of the Department's business where demand for services might be affected. This ensures that timely action can be taken where necessary.
	Changes in demand for services are taken into account when agreeing allocations to departmental business groups, along with other factors such as policy considerations, inflationary pressures and the potential for efficiency savings.
	The Department remains committed to living within its budget as set out in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. We are currently looking hard at the services we provide in order to find new ways to improve how we deliver them, while ensuring that we focus on our frontline services. We aim to drive out inefficiencies, overlap and duplication and to reduce our overheads, especially in our headquarters areas. Where possible the Department will actively look to redeploy staff to alternative and appropriate roles.

Crimes of Violence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether wounding with intent contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 is classified as a serious offence.

Maria Eagle: For the purposes of the dangerous offender provisions in Chapter 5 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 is a serious offence and is specified in Schedule 15 to that Act, which means that an offender convicted of the offence may attract a sentence for public protection.

Crimes of Violence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offences of wounding with intent contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 were committed by offenders under probation supervision in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: Information on reoffending of offenders commencing court orders under probation supervision or on release from custody on licence is not broken down by detailed offence type. Serious reoffending rates are available which include wounding with intent.
	Table 1 provides the number of further severe offences committed per 100 offenders during the one year follow up period for offenders commencing a court order under probation supervision in the first quarter (1 January to 31 March) of the years 2000 to 2006.
	The reoffending data do not show if an offender was still under probation supervision when the offence occurred.
	The following table shows the severity rates per 100 offenders for adults following commencement of a court order under probation supervision.
	
		
			Number of offenders  Number of severe offences per 100 offenders( 1) 
			 Court orders(2) 2000 Q1 28,859 0.6 
			  2002 Q1 29,014 0.7 
			  2003 Q1 30,757 0.7 
			  2004 Q1 31,720 0.7 
			  2005 Q1 29,728 0.8 
			  2006 Q1 36,777 0.6 
			 (1) Severe offences includes wounding with intent, as well as other serious violence offences and serious sexual offences. Please note the small numbers of most serious offences committed places a limitation on any robust breakdown of the severity rate. (2) Court orders include pre-CJA 2003 community sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders.  Note: Data for 2001 are unavailable due to problems with archived data for community sentences. 
		
	
	Further information on the one year rates of reoffending can be found in
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm.

Crimes of Violence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many serious further offences were committed by offenders under probation supervision in each  (a) probation area and  (b) parliamentary constituency in the last year for which data are available.

Jack Straw: The Offender Management Caseload Statistics, which are published annually, provide data on serious further offences (SFOs) by offenders under probation supervision, as notified to the National Offender Management Service Public Protection Unit (PPU).
	For the purposes of the notification process in force at the time of the offences listed in the table, an SFO was a specified sexual or violent offence, which met the criteria set out in Probation Circular 41/2006.
	The following table shows, as at 20 January 2009, the number of convictions recorded to date for an SFO that was notified to the PPU between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008, by probation area:
	
		
			  Area  SFO convictions 
			 Avon and Somerset 10 
			 Bedfordshire 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 7 
			 Cheshire 9 
			 Cumbria 1 
			 Derbyshire 6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8 
			 Dorset 6 
			 Durham 18 
			 Dyfed-Powys 5 
			 Essex 14 
			 Gloucestershire 1 
			 Greater Manchester 54 
			 Gwent 7 
			 Hampshire 8 
			 Hertfordshire 2 
			 Humberside 15 
			 Kent 22 
			 Lancashire 25 
			 Leicestershire 11 
			 Lincolnshire 1 
			 London 76 
			 Merseyside 17 
			 Norfolk 7 
			 North Wales 9 
			 North Yorkshire 3 
			 Northamptonshire 4 
			 Northumbria 31 
			 Nottinghamshire 26 
			 South Wales 16 
			 South Yorkshire 18 
			 Staffordshire 15 
			 Suffolk 5 
			 Surrey 5 
			 Sussex 7 
			 Teesside 9 
			 Thames Valley 5 
			 Warwickshire 4 
			 West Mercia 14 
			 West Midlands 58 
			 West Yorkshire 38 
			 Wiltshire 6 
			 Total 605 
		
	
	As at 20 January 2009, there were 191 cases of offenders charged with a serious further offence during the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 still awaiting trial.
	We do not hold information about the parliamentary constituency in which the relevant offenders were supervised. To obtain such information would require manual checking of files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
	The number of SFO convictions is around 0.35 per cent. of the number of offenders being supervised in the community by the Probation Service.

Departmental Manpower

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in  (a) his Department and  (b) its shadow agencies which will be lost through natural wastage under his Department's financial plan for the Comprehensive Spending Review for 2008 to 2011.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is committed to delivering 1 billion of saving by March 2011 and establishing a modern and efficient justice system that delivers the best possible service to our customers and the public.
	We are looking hard at the services the MOJ provides and finding new ways to improve how we deliver them while focusing on our frontline services. We are also driving out inefficiencies, overlap and duplication and reducing our overheads, especially in our headquarters areas.
	Centrally we have estimated that for the MOJ as a whole (excluding the probation service) natural wastage will drop from around 10 per cent. in 2008-09 to 5 per cent. in 2009-10 and 2010-11, resulting in around 8,000 exits in 2008/09 and 4,000 a year for 2009/10 and 2010/11.
	Detailed planning at agency level to estimate exits due to natural wastage, and determine which of these posts will be filled through redeployment or recruitment, is yet to be completed. The Department is consulting with the trade unions and will continue to do so as the plans develop.

Departmental Public Consultation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many members of the public took part in his Department's online discussion on greater citizen engagement;
	(2)  how many members of the public responded to his Department's consultation on a framework for greater citizen engagement;
	(3)  what the cost was of the consultation on a framework for greater citizen engagement.

Michael Wills: A summary of responses to the discussion paper: A National Framework for Greater Citizen Engagement was published on the Ministry of Justice website on 8 January 2009.
	27 written responses were received from engagement organisations and consultants, voluntary and community organisations, academics, local authorities and individuals. 22 people contributed to the online discussion. The summary report can be found at:
	http://governance.justice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/summary-of-responses-report.pdf
	The framework was one of the topics for discussion at the five 'townhall' events on the wider governance Britain programme. The total cost of these events was 3,929.42.

Departmental Public Consultation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish the results of his Department's consultation on bail and murder.

Jack Straw: The Government response to the Bail and Murder Consultation was published on the Ministry of Justice website on 2 February 2009.

Departmental Public Consultation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he will publish the results of his Department's consultation on designation of additional public authorities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Michael Wills: The public consultation on section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act concluded on 1 February 2008. The Government will publish their response to the section 5 public consultation by the summer.

Departmental Public Consultation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish the results of his Department's consultation on Titan prisons.

Jack Straw: The Government plan to publish its response to the consultation before the end of the current financial year.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the 2008-09 near cash allocation to each of his Department's business groups was.

Jack Straw: The following table sets out the near cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) for MOJ business groups, as agreed in the Winter Supplementary Estimate. The Spring Supplementary Estimate, which contains the latest figures, is due to be published on February 10 2009.
	
		
			  Business area  Winter supplementary numbers ( million) 
			 Corporate Performance Group 362 
			 Democracy Constitution and Law 79 
			 Access to Justice 3,626 
			 NOMS 3,931 
			 Criminal Justice Group 574 
			 Scotland Office 7 
			 Wales Office 8 
			 Total 8,587

Governance of Britain

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials,  (c) representatives of local government,  (d) invited members of the public and  (e) other members of the public attended each Governance of Britain event.

Michael Wills: The five Governance of Britain 'townhall' events held in summer 2008, were designed to engage active members of the local community in the Government's constitutional renewal agenda with an aim of encouraging them to take the debate out to their community groups and organisations. The events were hosted by myself as Minister of State for Justice and were supported by Ministry of Justice officials who acted as facilitators and note takers. The information required for each event is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   2008 
			   Bristol: 30 June  Nottingham: 9 July  Newcastle: 14 July  Brighton: 17 July  London: 22 July 
			  (a) 1 1 1 1 1 
			  (b) 5 5 5 5 5 
			  (c) 11 10 7 2 2 
			  (d) 25 27 16 25 27 
			  (e) 0 0 0 0 0

Homophobia

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to bring into force section 74 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.

Jack Straw: Commencement of the offences of stirring up hatred on grounds of sexual orientation has been delayed to ensure compliance with the e-commerce directive. This issue will be resolved by provisions proposed in the Coroners and Justice Bill. We intend to commence section 74 as soon as possible thereafter.

Legal Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether the Government plans to increase court costs for conviction in the magistrates' court for failure to pay a television licence in line with the proposed increase in costs for an application for a liability order against council tax defaulters;
	(2)  whether he plans to allow magistrates' courts to  (a) reduce and  (b) remit court costs in proportion to means for (i) unemployed persons on means tested benefits and (ii) other cases of hardship.

Bridget Prentice: A consultation paper 'Civil Court Fees' (CP31/08) was published on 10 December 2008. The consultation period closes 4 March 2009. The paper proposes to increase fees in order to maintain full-cost recovery for civil business in the county courts and High Court and increase civil fees for the magistrates court to 100 per cent. cost-recovery. The current fee for an application for conviction within the magistrates court is in three stages, costing a total of 90. The consultation proposes a single fee of 250. There are no plans to increase the fee of 3 for an application for a liability order against council tax defaulters.
	The Ministry of Justice is committed to ensuring that court fees do not prevent access to the courts for those less well-off. A system of fee concessions is available in the High Court, county court and magistrates courts to ensure those of limited means are not denied access to the courts because they genuinely cannot afford to pay the fees. The system allows a full remission or part remission of the court fee and is aimed at people who are in receipt of a specific means-tested benefit, whose income is below a prescribed limit and for some whose financial commitments leave them with little or no disposable income.

Magistrates

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy to increase or abolish the maximum age at which a person can serve as a magistrate.

Jack Straw: There are no current plans to review the retirement age for magistrates, which is set in statute at 70 years of age.

Magistrates Courts: ICT

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether all magistrates' courts have access to full Libra functionality.

Bridget Prentice: All magistrates courts have access to full Libra functionality. The application was deployed to the final courts on 9 December 2008.

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) men and  (b) women were (i) sentenced to prison, (ii) given community sentences and (iii) detained in appropriate hospital accommodation prior to sentencing in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Information is not available to answer the question as posed.
	The numbers of males and females (all ages) sentenced to custodial and community sentences in the last five years for which data are available are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of persons given custody( 1)  or community sentences, 2003-07 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Custody( 1)  
			 Males 100,759 99,651 101,051 117,166 122,547 
			 Females 9,434 9,526 9,851 12,360 13,347 
			 Total 110,193 109,177 110,902 129,526 135,894 
			   
			  Community sentence  
			 Males 163,136 172,166 172,859 161,444 165,807 
			 Females 28,545 30,780 31,388 29,393 30,517 
			 Total 191,681 202,946 204,247 190,837 196,324 
			 (1) Immediate and suspended custodial sentences.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 
		
	
	The annual Statistical Bulletins of Mentally Disordered Offenders show that for England and Wales, over the last five years for which figures are available, the numbers of mentally disordered offenders admitted to hospital as restricted patients were:
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Males 894 948 1,218 1,213 1.279 
			 Females 112 138 111 137 161 
			 Total 1,006 1,086 1,329 1,350 1,440 
		
	
	These figures do not include hospital orders without restrictions, for which statistics are not available. The figures include a relatively large group transferred from prison either after sentence, or while untried or unsentenced. They also include a smaller group admitted under a hospital order with restriction order. Additionally, they include some patients recalled to hospital by the Secretary of State, and very small numbers admitted from other parts of the United Kingdom (see Table 5 of 'Statistics of Mentally Disordered Offenders 2006 England and Wales'). Bulletins on mentally disordered offenders can be downloaded from:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics.htm

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) men and  (b) women were transferred from prison to appropriate hospital accommodation under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last five years; and what proportion waited over (i) six and (ii) 12 weeks for transfer;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) male and  (b) female prisoners who have (i) one and (ii) two or more mental health conditions together with an alcohol or substance abuse problem;
	(3)  what the average size of a mental health prisoner in-reach team is; and what the average number of prisoners in the prisons they serve is.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	The data requested are not held centrally in the format requested.

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent on  (a) mental health in-reach services for prisons and  (b) other mental health services in prisons in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	Since 2006 200 million has been invested each year, including 20 million every year on mental health in-reach services.

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average time taken to undertake routine screening of prisoners for health problems was  (a) on initial entry to a prison establishment and  (b) subsequently in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	All new prisoners have a first reception health screen undertaken on entry into custody, this initial health screen generally takes up to 30 minutes to complete. A second health screen which provides a more in depth history of an individuals health and allows for care and treatment to be planned, is completed within the first five days of being in custody.
	We do not hold the figures requested centrally.

National Offender Management Service

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will appoint a director with responsibility for reducing reoffending to the National Offender Management Service Board.

David Hanson: The director of commissioning and operational policy is the member of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Board responsible for reducing reoffending. In addition, the director-general of NOMS is the lead official for the delivery of the departmental strategic objective on protecting the public and reducing reoffending on the Ministry of Justice Corporate Management Board.

Police Custody

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of Operation Safeguard was in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: Invoices to the value of 14,373,500 were paid between October 2006 and March 2007, 50,761,500 between April 2007 and March 2008 and 9,894,750 between April 2008 and 31 October 2008 for activation of Operation Safeguard.

Prison Accommodation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) certified normal accommodation and  (b) operational capacity of prisons in England and Wales was in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: The following table provides the information requested. These details are taken from the end of year statistics provided by HM Prison Service.
	
		
			  Certified normal accommodation (CNA) and occupational capacity for prisons in England and Wales Since 1997 
			   In-use CNA  Operational capacity 
			 1997 58,876 65,787 
			 1998 62,677 70,097 
			 1999 62,492 70,226 
			 2000 63,487 71,158 
			 2001 63,999 72,016 
			 2002 65,008 75,116 
			 2003 66,758 77,162 
			 2004 68,691 78,889 
			 2005 69,607 80,283 
			 2006 70,992 82,088 
			 2007 72,252 83,955 
			 2008 74,561 86,725

Prisoners Release

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of convicted murderers had served less than half of their custodial sentence at the point of release in the last five years; how many of them committed a serious crime in the six months after their release; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: When an offender is convicted of murder, the courts must hand down a life sentence. Such a sentence will include a minimum tariff which must be served before the offender can be considered by the Parole Board for release. This tariff is set by the courts and is the minimum term required for retribution and deterrence, which is set in line with Section 269 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.
	As a rule, no life sentence prisoner is released before the expiry of their tariff, although there are provisions under the Section 30 of the Crime Sentences Act 1997 for the compassionate release of life or other indeterminate sentenced prisoners. Compassionate release is granted only in the most exceptional circumstances and normally only when the prisoner is terminally ill and close to death.
	In the period of 2002-08. there were just 16 compassionate releases of life or other indeterminate sentence prisoners, none of whom have been reported as having gone on to commit further serious crimes.

Prisoners Release: Foreigners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners formerly held in  (a) HMP Canterbury and  (b) HMP Bulwood Hall have been released.

Jack Straw: In 2007, the most recent annual data available, a total of 7,450 foreign national prisoners were discharged from prison establishments in England and Wales. This includes those transferring to immigration centres, those removed from the country, and those released into the community. Of the total (7,450), 210 were released from HMP Bulwood Hall and 500 from HMP Canterbury. It is not possible to identify how many others were released from other prison establishments having previously been held in HMPs Bulwood Hall or Canterbury while serving their sentence.
	These figures have been drawn from IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and so the numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offences of  (a) murder,  (b) attempted murder,  (c) rape,  (d) attempted rape and  (e) homicide have been committed by offenders on release on temporary licence in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: To provide the information requested would involve the manual examination of many hundreds of individual records which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much in subsistence payments has been made by  (a) prison governors and  (b) his Department to offenders on end of custody licence in each of the last 12 months.

David Hanson: The available information is shown in the accompanying table. Figures for subsistence paid locally are collated on a quarterly basis; breaking this figure down monthly would entail revisiting local records at disproportionate cost. Figures for more recent months are not yet available.
	When the end of custody licence (ECL) scheme was first introduced, offenders released for the maximum of 18 days received their subsistence payments in instalments through the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), who make payments on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. Offenders released for less than 18 days were paid in full by prisons on release. From 23 June 2008, payment in instalments by DWP was extended to offenders spending 15 days or more on ECL, and the effect of this is shown in the table. From 15 December, payment in instalments by DWP has been further extended to offenders spending eight days or more on ECL.
	
		
			   
			  Month  Paid centrally by Department of Work and Pensions on behalf of MoJ  Paid locally by prison establishments 
			 October 2007 119,125.92 (1)449,634 
			 November 2007 130,745.76 (1) 
			 December 2007 94,444.40 (1) 
			
			 January 2008 111,402.96 (1)440.380 
			 February 2008 90,102.48 (1) 
			 March 2008 83,209.52 (1) 
			
			 April 2008 121,398.35 (1)418.100 
			 May 2008 86,914.00 (1) 
			 June 2008 142,591.96 (1) 
			
			 July 2008 213,625.39 (1)282.952 
			 August 2008 172,167.36 (1) 
			 September 2008 216,541.81 (1) 
			 Total 1,582,269.91 (1)1,591,066 
			 (1 )Figure shown covers the three rows.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many foreign nationals are being held on indeterminate sentences for public protection;
	(2)  how many foreign nationals being held on indeterminate sentences for public protection have completed their minimum tariff.

Jack Straw: The National Offender Management Service in the process of completing an audit of prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection and who are recorded centrally as being a foreign national. This audit is scheduled to be completed by the end of February, and I will write to the hon. and learned Member, providing the data which he has requested and will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average annual overall resource cost per prisoner was in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The overall average resource cost per prisoner in England and Wales was:
	
		
			
			 2007/08 39,000 
			 2006/07 37,500 
			 2005/06 36,500 
			 2004/05 34,500 
			 2003/04 33,000 
			  Note: Figures are to the nearest 500. 
		
	
	The average costs comprise the public sector establishments' direct resource expenditure as published in the Annual Report and Accounts of Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS), increased by an apportionment of costs borne centrally by HMPS and the National Offender Management Service; and the resource expenditure of contracted-out prisons also increased by certain costs borne centrally. This involves some estimation. Income from the Youth Justice Board (YJB) in respect of services recharged to the YJB is excluded in order to show the overall cost to the Ministry of Justice. The figures do not include prisoners held in police and court cells under Operation Safeguard, nor expenditure met by other Government Departments (e.g. for health and education). The amount of expenditure met by other Government Departments may have altered over the period, possibly affecting comparability of the figures. The prisoner escort service is included.

Prisoners: Voting Rights

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to undertake the second stage of consultation on prisoners' voting rights.

Jack Straw: In response to the Hirst (No. 2) judgment, the Government committed to undertake a two-stage consultation process. The first stage concluded in March 2007. The Government remain committed to carrying out this a second, more detailed public consultation, but we have not yet set a time-scale for this.

Prisons: Drugs

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects Lord Patel's Prison Drug Treatment Review Group to report their findings to him; and when he plans to publish the report and his response to it.

David Hanson: The Prison Drug Treatment Strategy Review Group reports jointly to the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health. Work on the review started in September 2008 and is expected to take two years to complete.
	I expect to receive quarterly updates on progress and will report periodically to the House. A decision has yet to be taken on publication of the final report.

Prisons: Wind Power

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations  (a) he,  (b) Ministers and  (c) officials in his Department have made to (i) the Department for Communities and Local Government and (ii) the Department for Energy and Climate Change on issues arising from the proposed siting of wind turbines near prisons; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: No direct representations have been made by Ministers or officials to the Department for Communities and Local Government or the Department for Energy and Climate Change on issues arising from the proposed siting of wind turbines near prisons. Officials would however comment on proposals submitted to them from local planning authorities such as in the case of HMP Whitemoor and would approach local authority planning departments about any Ministry proposals to erect wind turbines on prison land. Officials are liaising with the Carbon Trust regarding potential prison land for the erection of wind turbines.

Speed Limits: Cameras

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons have been acquitted of speeding offences as a consequence of speed measure devices  (a) not having been properly calibrated and  (b) used by officers who have not received specialist training, in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: Statistical information collected centrally by my Department on the number of persons dealt with for offences of contravening speed limits does not identify the reason why the court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty.

Victims of Crime

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of victims of crime reported satisfaction with the criminal justice system in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: From 2003-04 to 2007-08, victim satisfaction with the criminal justice system (CJS) was assessed through the British Crime Survey (BCS), as part of an overall measure of victim and witness satisfaction. The BCS is a survey of the general public and includes a question to those members of the public who have been victims or witnesses about their experience of the CJS. The following table shows results for England and Wales from the last six months of 2003-04 to the end of 2006-07.
	
		
			  Victim and witness satisfaction with the CJS (British Crime Survey) 
			  Period  Percentage 
			 6 months to March 2004 58 
			 Year ending March 2005 59 
			 Year ending March 2006 59 
			 Year ending March 2007 60 
		
	
	Since 2008, the public service agreement for the CJS has changed to use the Witness and Victim Experience Survey (WAVES) to measure victim and witness satisfaction with the CJS. WAVES surveys victims and witnesses whose cases resulted in a charge being brought. The survey was introduced to give more detailed feedback about the experience of victims and witnesses. Unlike the BCS, WAVES gives both national and Local Criminal Justice Board-level data and contains many more questions about every aspect of the CJS.
	The following table shows results for England and Wales from 2007-08 (the latest available data).
	
		
			  Victim and witness satisfaction with the CJS (WAVES) 
			  Period  Percentage 
			 Year ending March 2008 80 
		
	
	There are a number of reasons why there is a disparity between the two sets of figures. The BCS is a survey of the general public and although it interviews nearly 50,000 people, this includes only a relatively small proportion of victims whose cases have gone all the way through the CJS. WAVES focuses specifically on victims whose cases have got to the stage of a charge being brought or beyond, and interviews nearly 40,000 victims and witnesses. Hence the two surveys sample different groups. The BCS and WAVES also use different measures of satisfaction. The BCS defined satisfaction as the percentage of victims who were fairly or very satisfied with the contact they had with the CJS. WAVES gives victims the choice of three different levels of satisfaction defining overall satisfaction as the percentage of victims who were fairly, very or completely satisfied with the contact they had with the CJS. This is the standard scale now used by most customer satisfaction surveys and allows a more detailed breakdown of different levels of satisfaction.

Witnesses

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures govern the selection and termination of appointments of witness intermediaries.

Maria Eagle: Intermediaries come from a range of professional backgrounds including speech and language therapy, psychology, occupational therapy, education and other health care professions. To register as intermediaries they must undergo a rigorous assessment process overseen by the Intermediary Registration Board. They are also required to successfully complete an initial five-day procedural training requirement introducing them to the criminal justice system before being placed on the register.
	There is a formal complaints process where the users of the servicethe police, prosecutors and defencecan raise a specific complaint about individual intermediaries which is then subject to investigation by a member of the Quality Assurance Board for Intermediaries. The remedies available include the removal of the intermediary from the intermediary register.

Witnesses

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what methods are used by witness intermediaries to interpret statements by those diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder.

Maria Eagle: The methods used by intermediaries to interpret statements by witnesses diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder will be determined by the intermediary concerned on a case by case basis in the light of their professional qualifications, training, experience and knowledge. Intermediaries come from a range of professional backgrounds including speech and language therapy, psychology, occupational therapy, education and other health care professions.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Cabinet: Press

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he place in the Library a copy of the press cuttings pack prepared for the most recent meeting of the Cabinet.

Liam Byrne: A press cuttings pack is not prepared for meetings of the Cabinet.

Catz Club

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1124W, on Catz Club, what meetings Ministers in his Department have had with Catz Club representatives since April 2005.

Liam Byrne: Ministers in my Department have not held any meetings with Catz Club representatives since April 2005.

Catz Club

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1124W, on Catz Club, whether a copy of the confidentiality agreement between Futurebuilders and Catz Club is held by the Cabinet Office; and if he will place in the Library a copy redacting commercially sensitive elements.

Liam Byrne: This is not a matter for the Cabinet Office. I am therefore unable to place a copy in the Library.

Death: Asthma

Anne Milton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many asthma-related deaths were recorded in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 3 February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many asthma-related deaths were recorded in each of the last five years. (252156)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths where asthma was mentioned on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributing factor, from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Deaths from asthma( 1,) ( 2)  in England and Wales( 3) , 2003-07( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   (i) Underlying cause  (ii) Any mention 
			 2003 1,267 2,662 
			 2004 1,264 2,669 
			 2005 1,183 2,571 
			 2006 1,082 2,569 
			 2007 1,033 2,503 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes J45-J46. (2) Figures shown as 'any mention' (column ii) include those where asthma was recorded as the underlying cause'(column i). (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which  (a) Ministers,  (b) civil servants and  (c) special advisers have allocated desk space in the Prime Minister's office in No. 12 Downing Street.

Tom Watson: The Prime Minister works alongside his Private Office, with space allocated for Cabinet Office Ministers and advisers.

Departmental Courier Services

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Cabinet Office spent on  (a) courier services and  (b) venue hire in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Land

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 783W, on departmental land, whether any of the land held for development within the Duchy of Lancaster's  (a) Crewe and  (b) Yorkshire Survey is (i) green belt and (ii) green field land.

Liam Byrne: Some areas within the Duchy's Crewe estate are designated as green belt land. However, none of this land has been identified for development.
	Within the Yorkshire Survey, all sites held for development fall within green field land. At Pontefract, representations have been made for three small allotment sites which fall within green belt land.

Departmental Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 785W, on departmental pensions what account was taken of the  (a) new FRS 17 accounting standard and  (b) abolition of dividend tax credits in the decision to close the Duchy of Lancaster staff pension scheme to new entrants.

Liam Byrne: The abolition of dividend tax credits came into force in 1997 and there was no reference to this in the minutes relating to the decision made on 6 February 2002 to close the Duchy of Lancaster staff pension scheme to new entrants. The FRS 17 accounting standard came into force after the aforementioned decision.

Departmental Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 785W, on departmental pensions, what percentage contribution the Duchy of Lancaster makes to staff pensions for staff who are not in the final salary scheme.

Liam Byrne: A contribution equivalent to 10 per cent. of the gross salary of a Duchy of Lancaster employee not within the final salary scheme is made to those younger than 50 years of age. Staff who have attained in excess of 50 years of age receive a contribution of 13 per cent. of the applicable gross salary.

Departmental Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 785W, on departmental pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting at which it was decided to close the Duchy of Lancaster Staff Pension Scheme to new entrants.

Liam Byrne: The decision to close the Duchy of Lancaster Staff Pension Scheme was made by the Duchy Council on 6 February 2002. However, as the Duchy of Lancaster is a private body the minutes of meetings are confidential and it would not be appropriate for these to be placed in the Library.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Cabinet Office spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; what proportion of this expenditure related to training for staff employed in the Prime Minister's Office; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) the Prime Minister's Office attended at least one such training course.

Tom Watson: All Cabinet Office Units (including No. 10) have delegated responsibility for spend against their training budgets. No payments were made to the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2007-08 year.
	There was no centrally organised digital media training provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau for Cabinet Office staff in 2007-08 year.

Futurebuilders

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 9 December 2008,  Official Report, column 43W, on Futurebuilders: Catz Club, for what reasons the Who Cares? Trust is no longer a Futurebuilders investee.

Liam Byrne: Futurebuilders England informs me that they withdrew further investment in Who Cares? Trust in July 2006 because Who Cares? Trust was unable to meet its 2006 revenue targets.

Government Departments: Disclosure of Information

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance his Department has provided to other Government departments on procedures to be followed in cases of unauthorised disclosure of information since the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Guidance to Departments on procedures to be followed in cases of unauthorised disclosure of information has not changed since the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford (Damian Green).

Higher Civil Servants: Retirement

George Mudie: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which permanent secretaries have retired since 1997; and which of these have subsequently accepted salaried positions paid from the public purse.

Tom Watson: holding answer 2 February 2009
	 Information relating to permanent secretary retirements will be accounted for in departmental annual reports and accounts.
	Data are not centrally held by the Cabinet Office on their subsequent employment, but where the Rules on the Acceptance of Outside Appointments by Crown Servants required that permission be sought before an appointment was taken up the details of these appointments are outlined in the annual reports of the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), copies of which are available in the Library of the House and on their website:
	www.acoba.gov.uk.

I-Monitoring Security Co-ordination Centre

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the written ministerial statement of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 76-78WS, on departmental expenditure limit (2008-09), what the functions and activities of the  (a) i-Monitoring Security Co-ordination Centre and  (b) Information Assurance Technical Programme are.

Liam Byrne: The Government Security Zone (GSZ) i-Monitoring Security Co-ordination Centre, now referred to as the Government Security Zone-Information Room (GSZ IR), is a key deliverable from the GSZ programme. This programme is a linked series of projects intended to improve the collective physical security of Government Departments and other specified establishments located within the zone, by enhancing existing security arrangements.
	The GSZ IR has three main functions:
	Proactive use of CCTV to identify threats (particularly terrorist-related threats) and suspicious activity within the zone;
	Co-ordination of security information between the Government departmental security community and the Metropolitan Police Service and other police units;
	Provide Government Departments with a 24/7 link to the police for immediate advice on counter-terrorism and security issues and to initiate a response to incidents.
	The Information Assurance Technical Programme is a common good programme which aims to provide a sustainable UK Information Assurance capability benefiting the whole of UK Government. The IATP is run by CESG, the national technical authority for Information Assurance, and an arm of GCHQ, in partnership with industry. Governance of the programme has recently moved from the CSIA in the Cabinet Office to the Ministry of Defence. More information on the work of the IATP can be found at:
	http://www.cesg.gov.uk/products_services/iatp/index.shtml

Lobbying: Registration

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will bring forward legislation to establish a mandatory register of lobbyists as recommended by the Public Administration Select Committee; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Report from the Public Administration Select Committee was published on 5 January. The Government will respond in due course.

Official Cars

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what cars of what engine cubic capacity are  (a) owned and  (b) leased by the Cabinet Office.

Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office owns one car, which utilises both a petrol engine, with a cubic capacity of 1497, and 500V electric engine.
	For cars leased by the Cabinet Office, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State at the Department for Transport (Mr. Hoon) on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 10W, about cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Place and Prosperity Seminar

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the presentation and handouts prepared for the Strategy Unit seminar on Place and Prosperity held on 11 December 2008.

Tom Watson: Yes.

Rural Payments Agency

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 785W, on Rural Payments Agency, how much the Duchy of Lancaster received in payments from the Rural Payments Agency in the last year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: No further payment has been received from the Rural Payments Agency since that for 2007 reported in the answer given on 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 785W. Receipt of the 2008 payment is expected by March 2009 but due to fluctuations of exchange rates the figures are unavailable at present.